Into The Night
by littlemeg06
Summary: JoseOC Josef, while looking for Mick, sees the exception to his self imposed rule about not turning under 25. Alot of McBeth for your reading enjoyment as Josef learns about love, life, and the dangers of a hot blooded Irish girl. T to be safe. Enjoy!
1. Prolouge: New Vampires

Alright, I no longer can claim inexperience with this genre if my story ends up sucking, lol. This is my second ML fic, I now should be better at it. -smiles-

I don't own anything about ML. Good Lord I wish I did though, right? I mean, wouldn't you guys just die for Josef at your beck and call? OMG, I know I would! lol. OK, I do own Sam though. She's mine. And she IS NOT the Sam from the show. I started writing this before 'Sleeping Beauty', so some parts of that episode I am choosing to ignore, lol. Like the Sam part. The plot I own. I think...

Hope you like it, I enjoyed writing it!

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No matter how long he lived -or,un-lived, as it were- Josef would always dislike new vampires. Without fail, they were a nuisance. It wasn't their fault really. Josef didn't blame them. He had been a right terror the first few years of his undead existence.

But he still didn't like them.

Mick had been the only exception. Maybe because he'd been so mature. Well, mature, or maybe naive. Josef fluctuated between the two adjectives depending on his mood.

Mick had been the exception and Josef was sure that he was likely to be the only one. Hell, Josef didn't even like the few vamps he had sired right after they'd been turned!

Which, of course, is where we should start our story. Right before Mick, the exception, meets Samantha, Josef's newest 'child'.

And one who,. like Mick, wasn't exactly thrilled to be released from the mortal coil.


	2. Chapter I: Scratch That

Sorry the prologue was so short, I had to stop it there, or stop it at an awkward place further on. I think I might have written Josef in a little OC in this chapter. Sorry. I couldn't think of anything witty for him to say while trying to do what he's trying to do. Hope you like this!

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He hadn't planned on staying long. He hated the morgue. Hated it. It smelled. It was too bright. It wasn't at all flattering to his complexion. Which in itself was ironic because, like most of the morgue's other occupants, he was dead. Josef smiled. He could always amuse himself with his own intelligence. 

He was looking for Mick. This was not supposed to take long. Really.

"Excuse me, sir?" Josef turned around to face a young technician. Vampire, actually, by the smell of him.

"Yes?"

"Sir, I-" the vampire paused, unsure. "You were looking for Mick St. John?"

"Yes."

The other vampire shifted uncomfortably under Josef's questioning glare.

"Sir, I-" he paused again, scratching his ear, unsure.

"Yes? I'm afraid I haven't all day. " Josef encouraged impatiently. Not encouraged, urged maybe, though it was more like a command. At least, that's how the lab technician took it.

"Sir, I need your help. There's a girl here, and well, sir, she isn't dead yet." He blurted. Josef continued to glare.

"And?" he demanded with an impatient flick of a well taken care of hand.

"Well, sir, I-" scratch. "Sir, I was hoping you-" scratch, scratch. "Sir, I need your advice on the situation." he mumbled quickly. Only Josef's heightened sense of hearing saved the terrified vamp from a lecture on wasting Josef's time with the effects of mumbling. And the fact that Josef was enjoying making him squirm.

Josef sighed and flicked a lazy glance -that to the tech **still **seemed impatient while it was relaxed and habitual- at the watch on his wrist. Rolling his eyes, Josef asked,

"Name?" The tech stuttered. Which earned him a sigh, _and_ a glare.

"You have a name, don't you?" Josef demanded. The younger vampire was sure of it now, he was most definitely demanding.

"Guillermo!" he blurted, again scratching his ear.

"Well, Guillermo," Josef began slowly, speaking clearly like you would to a five year old. "When people are brought to the morgue they should be dead."

"Yes sir."

Josef shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose to forestall the massive headache that was coming on due to this idiot's stupidity. And this exactly was why he never dealt with the masses...

"When they aren't, you should _rectify_ the situation!" he snapped, startling Guillermo.

"Yes sir, that's what I needed your help with."

Josef looked up, unbelieving.

"Were you turned yesterday? Good God man, killing an unresisting human shouldn't involve such a lengthy conversation!" he informed the vampire.

Guillermo scratched his ear again.

"That's the problem, sir."

"What is the problem?" Josef sighed again. "I really don't see a problem here."

"Well sir, I hadn't really planned on killing her."

"Oh, what were you going to do then, pray tell?" Josef asked blithely. "Turn her?"

Scratch. Silence. Scratch.

"You actually were planning on turning her?" Josef asked in disbelief. Guillermo nodded. And scratched his ear.

"Do you realize how incredibly stupid and inane that idea is?! Do you realize how difficult the turning would be? Did you even think?! There are about 500 things that could go wrong and about a two percent chance that it would even work in the first place! And even if it did, do you know what would most likely happen? There's a very high chance that we could end up with a feral vamp on our hands, and I know that you're just a dumb little peasant, but even you **must** understand what a pain in the ass that would be for me to take care of?!" Josef hissed angrily at him. The tech flinched and tried to respond. Nothing came out of his gaping mouth. Scratch.

"Well! Don't stand there gaping at me like a fish! Explain!" Josef ordered sharply.

He scratched his ear.

"I needed you to do it. I'm not strong enough. I'm not old enough." Josef glared at him. Scratch.

"Sir, I know that you think that this is a bad idea." Josef continued to glare as Guillermo scratched his ear. "But I think that this girl deserves a chance, sir."

Josef glared and hissed again,

"What about the risks did you _not_ understand?" _So I know which ones to repeat as I slam your thick head into the wall_, he thought to himself darkly.

"I understand all of them, sir. But sir, if you would you just see this girl-"

"Oh, she's pretty, hmm?" Josef sneered. "Tell me, why would I be impressed by that? I have seven ex-super models living in my house as my breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"Sir, he began, not giving up as easily as Josef had expected him to. "Sir, she doesn't deserve to die, not when someone can save her." Josef sighed, again pinching the bridge of his nose.

Let's pause for a minute. This should have been an easy decision for Josef. The risks were too great for the expected benefit. It was as simple as high school economics. He would have to deal with the consequences of this, good or bad. He immediately should have said no. No. Simple as that.

But he didn't. The mere act of listening to this uneducated lout was out of character. And yet, here he was, Josef Konstantin, Vampire King- for all intents and purposes- of LA, cold hearted, blood drinking, money making machine, actually considering turning a teenager who had been sent to the morgue already.

"Where is she?" Josef asked in a tired voice. Guillermo jumped, startled by his success.

"Where's who? Oh! The girl!" Josef resisted the urge to kill the technician. Just barely. It was so tempting. Just a clean single bite, drain him, stake him, burn him, no more aggravating tech...

"She's over here, in-" scratch, scratch. This room." He pointed and led Josef into a cold sterile room that was obviously used for autopsies. There, lying on the table in the middle of the room in ripped jeans and a dirty, bloody, green hooded sweatshirt was a young woman, no more than 20. For a human, and human machinery, this girl was dead. No question.

But to the two vampires, she was still very much alive.

There, if Josef tuned out all ambient noise and concentrated on the body on the table, he could hear it. It was quiet, faint, almost nonexistent. But it was there.

Gunk...gung. Gunk...gung. Gunk...gung.

The tell-tale beat of a human heart. It was slowing. Every beat was slower than the last.

Which meant that if Josef was going to do this, he needed to do this fast.

Do it now.

"If this has any chance of working at all," Josef said, turning to the other vamp. "I'm going to need your complete cooperation." Guillermo nodded. "Pay attention to the girl. If at **any** point she starts to wake up, knock her out."

Guillermo's eyes widened.

"How?" he blurted. Thankfully for him, Josef's full attention was already on the girl and her dwindling heartbeat. The vampires' conversation had taken no more than 30 seconds and yet she was now dangerously close to the point of no return.

Josef needed to move fast.

"I don't care." he answered, teeth extending and eyes changing. "Just do it."

Guillermo's eyes widened even further when instead of biting the girl on the table, the elder vampire bit his own wrist and held it to the girl's mouth. Josef wasn't aware of his surroundings any longer, his attention was riveted on the frail creature in front of him.

He lifted her head up, supporting her neck with his unbitten arm and willed silently for her to swallow the blood pooling in her mouth.

And she did.

She wasn't awake. Her heartbeat had only increased a tiny bit (it still wouldn't be picked up by a machine) but she swallowed as a reflex.

Josef could have danced.

But he didn't. He had a job to do.

After waiting for the two wounds at his wrist to heal, he sighed and pulled her closer to him.

He bit her neck and felt the delicious, thick, life giving blood wash down his throat.

And he listened as the heart rate that had sped up began to slow again. He pulled away, bit his own wrist and held it her mouth. Again came the wait for the reflex swallowing and Josef felt himself begin to worry.

What if this didn't work?

She swallowed and he poked his teeth through the fresh wounds on her neck and drank again. He felt it when his blood began to heal all her internal injuries. He felt her muscles jerk slightly with the power the vampire blood had to offer.

He felt her eyes open slowly, groggily.

And after a few seconds, he tasted the bitter anesthesia the tech had given her to keep her under. He felt himself sway, dizzy from all the new feelings he was experiencing through her blood.

He drew back after he had almost drained all of it out of her body. There, blood dripping form the corner of his mouth, he looked down at her and almost smiled. She was ashen pale. And pretty, in a young, human sort of way.

He felt something, looking down at her lying on that table. A pull on his heart he couldn't account for. So he shoved it aside with a shake of his head.

The girl needed him now.

Biting his wrist for what he hoped was the last time for a while, he propped the girl into a sitting position, himself sitting behind her. He let her sag against his chest as the reflex swallow took hold once, twice.

Then, finally, he felt lips move against the tender, soft skin of his wrist. He looked down and saw it for his own eyes, saw the brief flash of pink as her tongue explored what was pressed so closely to her mouth. He felt a thrill start at the base of his spine and speed through his body as a groan filled the girl in front of him as she pulled the blood out of him.

She was feeding on her own and she was beginning to throw off the drugs, both good signs.

And Josef couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face as her small hands came up to hold onto his arms as her warm, moist lips clamped fiercely onto the wounds.

And he ignored that weird feeling again, because she still needed him.

After a minute, he decided enough was enough.

"Stop." he commanded, tone serious. The girl's eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice and he was startled by their clarity. They wouldn't change color for about an hour or so but still. They glittered green as emeralds.

Her eyes flicked down to her mouth on his wrist and went wide. She let go quickly, as though the hot skin she had fed from and had held onto so greedily had burnt her. She tore her mouth off his wrist and twisted her head away violently.

Josef frowned. He _hated_ squeamishness.

As he watched the angry red marks on his wrist fade, he listened to the girl's heartbeat. She was terrified. He could smell it in her breath. But she was excited as well, it was coming off her in waves so strong he could have been swept away. She felt the lean hard body pressed against her back. She felt him harden as she drank. She felt it, and her body had responded. Oh, Josef just loved vampires that allowed their bodies to dictate to them more than not. Humans too. He was a sensual creature, and he thought he had found another like him.

He felt her breathe in and out, leaning against his chest. He could feel her heartbeat through her skin and onto his. He saw her delicate hands clench into fists and then relax. He felt it as she flexed the muscles in her back and he arms, checking all her extremities. He saw the sleek, fluid ripple of muscle in her legs and felt another shock of animal lust run riot through his body.

He felt her jump when she felt it too.

Josef cleared his throat.

"How are you feeling?"

She shrugged.

"Fine, thanks."

He nodded.

"Good."

"Good."

They lapsed into silence as she continued to look for the injuries she had had before.

"Name?" Josef demanded after waiting patiently for her to finish.

"Sam." she replied quietly.

"Sam."

"Yes, Sam." she repeated, sounding vaguely annoyed. Josef smiled. Spunk, he liked.

"Come on, I'm going to take you home. I need to explain some things to you."

He slid off the table and offered her his hand. Which she looked at with suspicion.

"No." she said defiantly. "I'm not going anywhere with someone I haven't even met."

Josef rolled his eyes.

"Josef Konstantin," he introduced with a slight bow of his head. "Now will you please take my hand so I can take you home?"

The girl shook her head slowly.

"Not a chance, Mr. Konstantin. Not a chance." Josef let his fangs extend, intending to intimidate her. He heard her sharp intake of breath and saw a tiny bit of fear flash through her eyes.

She slid off of the table, ignoring his hand. However, as soon as she attempted to let go of the cold steel, her legs buckled and she found herself sitting against the table's legs.

Josef looked down at her and sighed.

"That was one of the things I had wanted to explain." He knelt down and gathered her into his arms. She didn't protest, which surprised him. He looked over to her face which rested on his shoulder and saw her trying to fight sleep.

"I'm not going to eat you, you know. You can go to sleep. Newly turned vampires sleep a lot, you'll need it, trust me."

She started to nod. Than stopped.

"Newly turned what?" she asked, voice dangerously low.

"Vampires." Josef answered calmly as he began to walk to the door, ignoring the stuttering Guillermo in the corner.

Somehow, he just **knew** the next couple of weeks were not going to be easy.

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Review!!! -smiles- :-)


	3. Chapter II: Follow Me

OK, this one's funnier, in my humble opinion, and I kind of like it better than the last one, but hey, what are you gonna do? Sorry for the wait, Christmas is a bit of a production in my house, a three to four day long drunken blur for most of us, lol. Those of you with large Irish Catholic families probably understand that when your mother starts to freak about Christmas and dinner and in- laws, the whole house stops, listens patiently, and takes orders. lol, wouldn't change it for the world though. Enjoy!

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"Oh Mick!" Josef called in a singsong voice as he let himself into his friend's apartment. He closed the door behind himself and strolled into the living room, plopping himself down onto the couch. Mick would venture from his freezer eventually, right now, Josef was going to help himself to a drink. God did he need it! 

And Mick did come out. After a few minutes, Mick emerged from a closed off room wearing only flannel pants and an annoyed expression on his face.

Josef offered him a grin.

"I have a surprise for you." Mick stifled a yawn and raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"Did you suddenly lean the meaning of the word 'boundaries' and come here to apologize for inviting yourself into my apartment when you knew I was sleeping and didn't want to be disturbed?" Mick asked hopefully. Josef grinned at his friend.

"Oh Mick, I know that you don't mind. You're Mick. I mean, I try not to interrupt your self-flagellation, because I know training to be a celibate monk is a passion of yours. Must be difficult when those scars don't last, huh?" He ribbed, a twinkle in his brown eyes. Mick had to smile. With Josef, there really wasn't any other option.

"Fine, you've made your point." Josef smiled. "Now what's this surprise if it isn't going to be the fondest wish of my undead existence?"

"Well, it has it's benefits, this surprise." Josef replied ambiguously. Mick had a feeling that was about all he was going to get out of his friend.

Mick sat next to the older vamp, taking the glass of blood out of his hands. Taking a sip, he asked,

"Am I ever going to find out what this surprise is?" Josef smile and pulled out his Blackberry.

"I'm glad you asked." He keyed in a number and listened for a second as it rang.

"Top floor." he said and hung up. He slid the phone back into his right pocket and stole the glass back from Mick.

"Inviting people to my apartment Josef?" Mick questioned with a grin. "My, we're becoming so domestic. I had no idea that you felt that way about me." Josef grinned back at his friend.

"What can I say Mick? When you've lived as long as I have, you learn to appreciate perfect hair."

Mick threw back his head and howled. Josef chuckled, but stopped when Mick did with a frown. Mick's frown, to be precise.

"Josef, do you smell that?" he asked, concentrating on the hallway beyond his front door. Josef watched the door carefully for a few seconds before getting up and walking to it.

Pulling it open, Josef presented with a wave of his hand, the thing Mick had smelled.

Josef's newly turned vampire, who looked about ready to fall over. Seeing this, Josef slipped an arm around her waist and helped her over to the couch he had just vacated.

"Surprise!" he told Mick with a trademark grin. Mick looked at the almost comatose newbie on his couch than back to his friend who was looking down at her with a nostalgic smile.

"You remember the first few days of being a vamp, Mick? Ah man. Let me tell you, those were good days. Eat, sleep, and sex. Only three words in my vocabulary for a week and a half." He let out a little chuckle. Mick was still too surprised to chastise his friend.

"You brought me a newbie?" he managed to ask in a stupid tone. Josef feigned a hurt expression.

"Fine then. Thats the last time I try and bring you a present." Mick frowned at his friend, owlish look demanding an explanation.

Josef sighed and threw himself onto the couch between the girl and his friend.

"Mick, meet Samantha Jameson, 20 and a half years old, from Buffalo NY." Mick looked over to the girl. She was pretty with shoulder length brown hair in a cute, perky ponytail. But not pretty enough to show up on Josef's radar. To young.

"20? Did you find her or something? Take her under your wing from the goodness of your heart? Because seriously, Josef, she can't be more than a few hours old." Josef looked at his perfectly manicured hands and muttered,

"An hour and a half." Mick's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in realization. He inhaled the girl's scent deeply to confirm his suspicions and closed his eyes.

"You turned a 20 year old girl into a vampire and are now trying to give her to me." Under any other circumstances, Josef would have laughed. Mick sounded so weary, it was one of those tones a parent who's about to snap uses on their teenager just before yelling. That 'you just did not get suspended from your 7th private school' tone. But, unfortunately, it wasn't a different circumstance, and that was exactly what he was attempting to do.

"20 and a half." Josef countered, not looking up from his hands. "And come on Mick, you don't want her to turn out all jaded with an incredibly loose moral center like me now do you?" He looked up and grinned at his friend, attempting to charm him into acceptance.

"Josef, what in the name of God possessed you to turn her? You hate new vampires!" Josef sighed. Apparently charming was not going to work. He smiled at his friend.

"You know me Mick. I get lonely!" he told his friend with a carefree smile. Mick wasn't sure he believed him.

"Josef, why her? She's just a kid, for Christ sakes!" Josef smiled that sly, predator smile of his, the one that made women everywhere a little more than curious about Josef Konstantin.

"Come one Mick, isn't it obvious? She's at her peak, and to tap into that blood, and have the chance to do so for eternity? Mick, smell her! She feels, and lets her body run her life, not her mind! She isn't one of those idiots, blathering about sex being just a way top propagate the species, you can smell it! She wants the feelings of life, all of them!" He grinned at his friend like the cat that ate the canary. Mick rolled his eyes. Yep. This was just like Josef. Find another being on this planet as sex- crazed as he, and make sure they stay that way.

"Can you go for one day without sex Josef? One day?" Mick asked, exasperated.

Josef grinned again.

"Mick, I don't know about 10 hours, let alone one day. And come on, be serious. Why find out?" He was about to say something else when Sam's head lolled onto Josef's shoulder as she slept. Mick waited for him to shrug it off and continue talking. Instead, Josef rested his cheek on her head and sighed.

Mick shook his head, the doubt at his friend's explanation coming back to him. He sighed and decided to change the subject.

"Where'd you find her anyways?"

Josef grinned at him again.

"Well, I have you to thank for that, my friend." Mick raised an eyebrow and waited for his friend to continue.

"I was looking for you at the morgue and that technician, Guill- something or other told me about her."

Mick rolled his eyes. Guillermo probably came close to annihilation just by breathing near Josef. He knew how annoying the tech could be.

Sam stirred, interrupting any further conversation. Both vamps looked over to her as she groggily cracked open her eyes. They were pale blue and they could see tiny, pearly teeth poking out from between her lips. Josef knew she was hungry.

She looked over at Mick and sat up quickly, eyes changing to their normally stunning green and teeth shrinking back to almost normal. Mick could smell worry in the air and knew it had to be hers. Frowning at him, and glancing around quickly to find the door, she whispered into Josef's ear,

"Is he, you know, like you?" Josef smiled indulgently down at her.

"You tell me. Remember what I told you?"

Sam frowned at Mick again, smelling the air around her. She squinted suspiciously at him.

"Prove it." she ordered, guard up. Mick could smell fear on her. And she was annoyed at herself for being afraid. So Mick decided to cut her a break.

With a snarl, he vamped out. He felt his fangs elongating, saw with the sharper, clearer vision his pale blue eyes gave him. He smelled the blood in his friend and the vampire siting next to him.

Sam nodded curtly as Mick turned back, still not allowing her features to succumb to the hunger that was burning inside her.

Mick shook his head.

"I see paranoia runs in the blood Josef."

Josef smiled at her proudly.

"Yes, she's coming along nicely. She started out with a healthy suspicion of people she didn't know." He looked directly at her and smiled again. "Better. Much better." He told her, offering his wrist and another small smile. She grinned back and enthusiastically grabbed the offering, but paused before bringing it to her mouth, remembering Mick. She looked over at him and let go. Josef frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Sam fidgeted.

"Nothing." She told him, looking anywhere but Josef's piercing brown eyes. "I'm just not that hungry."

Josef snorted in disbelief and looked at Mick, who was also skeptical.

"Sam, I know you're lying. A hungry newbie is like a red wine stain on a tie. Hard not to notice. You'll be ravenous in about an hour."

"No I won't!" she contradicted defensively. Mick could feel the waves of stubbornness rolling off of the two of them. Oh, Lord, he thought with an abject shake of his head. The two of them are going to kill each other in a week or two. Josef sighed, frowning down at the fledgling. Mick was impressed, she just continued to glare right back. Josef sat still, contemplating, before a triumphant smirk plastered itself across his handsome visage.

"You're shy! You don't want to feed in front of someone you don't know!" Mick felt sorry for her, really, he did. He knew that when Josef was hunting answers he could be more persistent than a bloodhound.

And be much more effective as well.

Sam flushed a little.

"Sam, he's a vampire, just like you. He won't care. He gets it." She shook her head and Josef huffed in exasperation.

"How about this," Mick said, standing up. ""I'm going to turn around and ignore you." And he turned around and faced the opposite wall.

Josef offered Sam his wrist again, and she took it gingerly. She licked her lips as she brought it to her mouth. She looked over at Mick's strong back, still not completely comfortable. She had a feeling that his vampire senses, the heightened ones Josef had been bragging to her about, were catching every move she made. She shook her head and with a growl, bit into the delicate skin.

She was right. Mick couldn't help knowing exactly what was happening. She began to purr, deep in her chest, a noise Josef soon began to unconsciously mimic. He smelled the heat that pooled in her stomach and heard his friend groan in animal pleasure. He smelled lust in the air, sexual frustration. Josef wanted, yet obviously, something wouldn't let him have.

This is why young humans did not make good vampires.

See, this is how Mick thought of it. Sex and feeding already went almost hand in hand. The raw, primal, powerful feeling involved in drinking the very thing that gave someone else life, aroused most vampires like nothing else on earth. Mick would be the first to admit it, when he fed directly form the vein, he got, without fail, the biggest erection. It was a natural response.

Josef, well, Josef was worse. While most vamps shrug it off, or grab a quickie, Josef toyed with the feelings. That high, all that sexual energy could last for hours with Josef. Sometimes days. What could he say? Vampires are a different set of creatures entirely. Josef had been turned at his prime. Early twenties when he was still experimenting with his own stamina. Now he never got to the bottom of that barrel, thank you vampire strength. Mick couldn't keep up. And he tried. Oh, did he try. week long sex-capades at Josef's penthouse in the 80's had left him gasping for breath when Josef had just gotten warmed up. Josef was the closest thing to a near- teen vamp Mick ever wanted to see.

Because couple the arousal of feeding with the hormones racing through a young human's body, and you're just asking for it.

Man, this was awkward.

Mick turned around just as Sam pulled her fangs out of Josef's wrist. His friend's gaze on his new toy was sharp but unfocused at the same time. Sam, however, was making no headway in her attempts to rein in her animal side. He smelled the lust on her, saw the way her eyes kept flashing back to blue. Her fangs hadn't retracted at all. And Josef, who very deliberately flicked out a lazy pink tongue to clean the puncture wounds on his wrist, was not helping.

Mick cleared his throat.

"So, what exactly did you want me to do, Josef?" he asked, attempting to gain his friend's attention. Josef coolly adjusted his suit coat, and calmly, as though he did not just have mind sex with the young vamp next to him replied,

"I want you to take her."

"What?!" Sam exclaimed, attempting to jump off the couch dramatically to make a stirring speech about responsibility. However, before she could move her sire to tears, her knees wobbled and she collapsed onto his lap.

"You'll be a little wobbly after you feed for a few days. You'll need to stick by me because that's when you'll be your most vulnerable."

Mick frowned at Josef's slip of the tongue. There was the doubt coming back.

Sam glared at him, sitting up and leaning on his shoulder.

"I thought you said I was going to be strong, ferocious, nigh untouchable, you know, _not wobbly_?" He smiled indulgently. But he was starting to get annoyed. Mick smelled it and smiled. Oh this was going to be very interesting.

"You'll become stronger, smart ass." Josef retorted. "If I don't kill you and have you for dinner first." Sam huffed and crossed her arms.

Mick gestured for his friend to get up. Josef stood and began to follow Mick into his office when he was stopped by a tug on his suit coat. He looked back and saw an affronted new vampire glaring up at him.

"And I'm just supposed to sit here?" she asked, still glaring daggers. Josef grinned evilly as he replied in a sweet voice,

"Well, if you want, you could just stand up and follow me." She stuck her tongue out at him, earning a snicker from her sire.

"Oh to be young again." He chuckled as he walked away to the office.


	4. Chapter III: Beth and the Button Pusher

Hey, I didn't forget about Beth, I promise! I wrote almost all of this at work, lol. Don't tattle! God, life is so boring compared to Josef and Mick! lol, Hope you like it! Reviews, as always, are appreciated. You guys are great, btw, I really appreciate the awsome things you're saying about this story of mine! Hugs all around! -I'm not sharing Josef though, sry. lol. :-P-

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Beth Turner was having an especially bad day. It started awful, and just kept getting worse. She and Josh had gotten into _another_ fight about her involvement with Mick on his cases. God, that man was so jealous all the time, always accusing her of loving Mick more than she did him. 

Beth stopped walking. Well, he kind of had a point with _that _accusation.

She frowned at herself and kept moving.

The only thing that could possible salvage this day was a trip to see Mr. Broody McFrown A Lot himself. He always listened to her bitching, even though she was sure he had better things to do with his eternity. She smiled. He really was a very understanding guy.

She sighed as she stepped off the elevator and onto Mick's floor. The door was open. _Great, just what I need today. Josef, leering at me with that impish, devil may care smile. God, yes, he is very attractive, but he dosen't have to flaunt it so much!_

Beth pushed the door open further and closed it behind herself.

"Mick!" she called, taking off her jacket and throwing it onto the couch, her purse quickly following.

"Hey!" someone yelped. Beth jumped and looked down at the couch. There was a conspicuous lump under her coat. She removed the offending article and was greeted with a stabbing green eyed glare.

"Who are you?" she asked, taking a step away from Mick's couch. Something was different about this girl. She huffed and uncurled her legs from beneath her. Beth was stunned, looking at her. Either she was a long lost relative or something, or her respect for Mick had just diminished quite a bit. She couldn't be over 20.

"Who are _you_?" the girl countered suspiciously, green eyes looking Beth up and down, trying to garner every little bit of information they could. She felt like she was being taken apart, like the girl on the couch was registering whether or not she was a threat.

Beth had seen that look before. She just couldn't place it...

"I asked you first." she retorted, feeling very immature. The girl frowned.

"Whatever you want, but you should give up now. In a contest of wills, blonds really have no chance against brunettes." Beth glowered at her as she smiled sweetly back.

Beth rolled her eyes.

"Fine, because I'm obviously the mature one in this room; I'm Beth Turner, Buzzwire. You?"

"I never said I was more mature. Just more stubborn." she stalled.

"You never answered my question." Beth informed her. The girl frowned.

"Sam."

"Just Sam?" Beth asked skeptically.

The girl nodded.

"For now."

They both quieted, each trying to determine they other's purpose. Finally, Beth sat on the chair across from Sam and asked,

"What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Don't start that again!" Beth snapped.

The girl smiled. _Button pusher_, Beth thought meanly.

"I'm here to see Mick. Are you his niece or something?" Beth asked.

"No."

"Well?"

"Well what?" Sam asked, deliberately trying to make her angry.

"Why are you here?" Beth asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Why not?" Sam replied, a cheeky smile gracing her young features. Beth had to laugh. No one resisted that smile for long.

Sam stifled a yawn and pulled her legs beneath her again.

"So what are you doing here anyways?" Beth asked, curiosity feeding her persistence. Sam scrutinized her. She had opened her mouth to answer when Josef walked into the living room from the office, Mick trailing behind looking aggravated.

"Beth! Lovely to see you!" Josef greeted, giving Beth a once over she was meant to notice. And notice it she did. No woman, Beth Turner included, ever didn't notice Josef noticing them. She smiled good naturedly. _Josef! Of course! That's where that look came from! That was the second look he gave me, after the leer of course. Great, great something?_ she mused to herself.

"Josef." she greeted cordially. She really didn't have a problem with the vampire. She liked him a lot actually. But good Lord, he was a chore to keep up with. He smiled at you in that way of his that always made it seem as though he was ten steps ahead of you. Mick threw her a brilliant smile, which she gave back, eyes shining. Josef sat next to Sam and observed with a grin,

"So, it would seem that you've met Sam?" Beth smiled back at him, not surprised she was with him. He seemed to have a new girl on his arm every time she saw him. _Never thought he'd go so young though. _

"Friend of yours, Josef?" she asked with a knowing smile. Josef grinned back at her, knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"More like a protege, actually." He enjoyed the stunned realization that flew across Beth's face as she turned to Mick for confirmation. Mick shrugged with a resigned shake of his head.

"I can't control that playboy." Beth smiled and shook her head.

Sam glared at Josef, furious he would let the secret out like that.

"She isn't like you!" she hissed. Beth smiled. So did Josef.

"You see how much happier Mick is now that Blondie's here? That's because he has the hots for her and let the secret out a while ago. She knows about us. She's Mick's human. Every once and a while I like to cut her a break, because, see, she actually can't tell whether or not you're a vampire." He joked, ignoring the glares his little speech had provoked. And the fact that Mick was trying not to blush. "She's trustworthy." He concluded, meeting her still suspicious eyes with a serious glance. Sam frowned, not sure that she wanted to be convinced.

"So, decided who's going to adopt the poor orphaned kitten yet?" she asked scathingly. Mick winced.

"Sam, it's not like that. Josef just wanted what he thought would be a better home for you. But he's taking you. He turned you, he keeps you."

"Lovely," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm a puppy now."

"Oh," Josef cajoled. "Don't be like that Sam. You're a very cute puppy." Sam vamped out and snarled at him, earning a barking laugh from the 400 year old vampire next to her.

"Please darling, if that scared me, I wouldn't still be alive today." She glared at him and crossed her arms. Mick smiled at Beth, silently promising to explain everything later.

Both men's heads snapped to Sam as a muffled song started to play. Looking sheepish, Sam dug a cell phone out of the pocket of her ripped jeans. it was that obnoxiously popular hip hop song that Beth couldn't stand. The one about the jeans and the boots with the fur. _Low or something stupid like that_, Beth thought, rolling her eyes.

Sam checked the front screen and her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. She was about to flip the phone open when it was snatched out of her hand. Josef's face was set as she looked up at him, affronted.

"You give that back!" she ordered, attempting to reach over him to grab it. Josef held it above his head and read aloud,

"'Kevin'. Boyfriend?" he asked Sam, his brown eyes not exactly as tough as he would have wanted them to be. Mick knew what was coming, and he knew that this would be hard on the both of them. No sire wants to tell their new fledgling, someone they share a bond with, that they can never see their friends and families again. And no new fledgling wants to hear it. It hurts both parties.

"No, my big brother." Sam answered, still trying to get the phone from Josef's hand. It stopped ringing and a few seconds later beeped, indicating a new voice mail. Sam glowered at Josef.

"Was that absolutely necessary? I mean, I know that you're a pathological gerk, but that was low even for you." she reprimanded him, ignoring the softening brown eyes. Josef let his hand drop to his lap, though still not relinquishing the phone.

"Sam, you can't ever speak to him again." he told her quietly. Mick sensed the impending conversation and decided it was time he and Beth made themselves scare Tapping her gently on the shoulder, he nodded his head toward the kitchen. She nodded, stood and followed him. Unable to resist the temptation any longer, however, she jabbed,

"Nice outfit Mick. Entertain all your guests like this or just 400 year old playboy vamps?" Mick rolled his eyes and nudged her with a bare shoulder good naturedly. She punched his arm back in retaliation. He grinned at her.

Sam was sizing up Josef, trying to determine if he was serious.

"Josef, that isn't funny. Neither is that serious face you've got on right now." Josef looked down at her steadily, eyes saddened and revealing just how old he was.

"You're serious, aren't you?" she asked, ugly realization hitting her in the solar plexus. He nodded solemnly.

"As a heart attack? No contact whatsoever?" she prodded. Josef couldn't help the small smile that flitted across his eyes. As he nodded again, it died when he saw the tears well up in Sam's eyes.

"But... why?" she whispered quietly, hurt and afraid. Josef didn't know how to make this easier. He sighed.

"Because that could expose us just as quickly as if you shouted it on national television." Sam looked away from him as the tears began to fall.

"Sam," Josef tried to reason. "They know you too well. Any change in your behavior they would question. And eventually, you would run out of excuses. Sam, I swear, it's better for everyone this way. You would have to watch them die, Sam. And you wouldn't be able to stop it." Her shoulders shook as he tossed the phone onto the coffee table in front of him and pulled her closer, wrapping protective arms around her shuddering frame.

"But they're my family." she sobbed, face buried in his neck. "They won't just let me go and forget about me. They deserve to know what happened!" Josef rocked her gently and kissed the top of her head.

"Just let me worry about that, alright darling?" Sam struggled against him and cried,

"You?! You started all this! I would have been happily dead right now, chilling with St. Peter at the Pearly Gates if you hadn't stuck your pretentious, jaded, 400 year old nose into my life! At least _then_ my family would know what happened to me! Ugh! I **hate** you!" she shouted at him, tearing herself from his grasp and jumping off the couch. Josef stared after her, face unreadable, but eyes betraying the hurt he felt. He words had stabbed right down through all the ice surrounding his heart. She hadn't asked for any of this. And he was hurt. And that made him angry. Who was she to hurt him!?

She wobbled to the door and flung it open.

"I swear to God, if you follow me, I will kill you." she told him, eyes vampire blue in rage and pain, teeth as sharp as her anger. She stormed out into the hall leaving an angry Josef on the couch.

Mick dashed into the living room, Beth not far behind.

"What happened?" Mick questioned, looking for Sam. "Where's Sam?"

"Not here anymore." Josef growled, standing up. He straightened his suit deliberately and turned his attention to the two of them. His eyes were cold and hard as ice. Beth grabbed Mick's arm.

"Mick, Beth." He nodded curtly and walked to the door, stopping when Beth called,

"Josef!" She paused. "Go easy on her, alright? This is new, and she didn't ask for it.. She just needs some time to adjust, right?" Mick looked down at her and nodded with a proud smile.

Josef, still standing in the hallway, growled,

"Yes, well, I suppose we'll see about that."

He walked to the stairs, taking them two at a time to catch up with the stray fledgling. Mick quietly closed the door and turned back to Beth. She was looking at the floor, eyes faraway, lost in thought.

"Hey," he said, tapping her arm. She looked up at him and sighed.

"He won't hurt her, will he?" Mick sighed, not sure how to answer the question.

"Josef isn't a monster, Beth. I don't ever want you to get that impression." She nodded. "He looks at being a vampire far differently than I. To him, Sam spurned a precious gift. A gift he extended. He's hurt. He was trying to help, in his own way. To him, she's being irrational and ungrateful." Beth nodded again.

"So why did he turn her? I mean, its obvious she didn't ask him for it." Mick sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"He says her youth and passion for life, among other things. I mean, to Josef, money, blood and sex are the only important things in life. And she would be an ample font for two of those things." Beth rolled her eyes. Figures, he was looking for a new pet. " But I don't think I believe him." Mick continued.

"Why?" Beth asked, skeptical. "That fits Josef's MO perfectly. You told me he's always looking for the vampire or human that he can turn into his perfect toy."

Mick smiled and sat on the couch Sam and Josef had vacated.

"I don't know Beth. Just something about this doesn't fit. I think something else, something bigger might have played into this." Beth smiled and sat down next to him. "He didn't find her, per say. She kind of found him. She was at the morgue. She was almost dead, Beth. To the human world, she _was_ dead. No machine could have picked up her heartbeat. But, despite the risks, and there were many involved in a turning like hers, he turned her. Josef doesn't do things like that. There are a million and one ways Sam's turning shouldn't have worked, but it did. Call me crazy, but that's not natural."

"OK Mick, whatever you say." Beth pacified. Mick rolled his eyes.

"Fine, don't believe me. But I know I'm right, and I'm reserving the right to say 'I told you so'." He informed her with a smile. Beth scoffed.

"So," Mick started, changing the subject. "What's up Beth?" She smiled at him.

"Just needed someone to bitch to. Today's been a pretty cruddy day so far."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Mick crooned, instantly regretting the scene that had unfolded under her nose. "I would have kicked the two of them out when you got here if I'd known."

Beth smiled. He really was perfect.

"No, seriously, their little drama put a lot of my problems into perspective. I'm still pissed though. God! I just hate people today!" Mick smiled. She was so cute when she was angry.

"Tell me about it. Anyone you need me to whack for you?" Beth smiled at him.

"This could take a while, you might want to put a shirt on or something." Mick grinned at her.

"What? Afraid you'll get distracted?" _Please say yes_. Beth scoffed again.

"In your dreams, St, John." _And mine. And reality. Yes._ Mick smiled and got up.

"There's soda in the fridge, help yourself." he told her, padding upstairs to get dressed. Beth watched his progression in approval, grinning at his broad bare back.

She shook head violently.

"Get a hold of your hormones, Turner!" she chastised quietly.

"What'd you say?" Mick called down the stairs. Beth winced.

"Nothing!" she called back. _Damn, I **hate** it when he does that!_


	5. Chapter IV: The Smelly Sweatshirt

hey all, thanks for the spantabulous reviews! yes, i just invented my own word. i might paten it. i will probably invent more and share with all you cool kids before this story is over. lol, hope you like this, it'll clear somethings up about my take on Sam's turning, and turnings in general.

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Sam stood in front of the outside door, looking out at the mid-afternoon crush of people passing by. It was sunny and she had no where to go. Some inner sense in her brain told her that the sunlight would not be a good thing for her new skin tone. And she was listening this time. This time she wasn't following the person who's blood now ran in her veins. Josef was upstairs, not outside. Her body wasn't going to let her get away with the sunlight again. She rolled her eyes. _Good job Sammy, you just managed to shake off the person who knew how to walk across the street without getting a suntan_. She shook her head and smiled ironically. _Oh, I am **such** a genius._

Josef saw her as he slowed his descent down the stairs. She was watching the outside world and he smelled the discontent. She wanted out. She wasn't going to get it. _This is permanent, God damn it! She should be happy!_

He stopped about ten paces away from her and bowed his head, closing his eyes. He took a few calming breaths and still felt anger and hurt flow through his bloodstream. He silently repeated his mantra to himself; 'I will not kill in front of security cameras' and stepped a little closer.

Sam finally sensed his presence and her shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry." she muttered, teeth clenched tightly. Josef almost smiled. Proud little spitfire indeed.

"Yeah, you should be." he told her, hands on his hips. "I'm only trying to help."

Sam whirled around to face him, eyes briefly flashing blue.

"You ordered me to never speak to my family again! My _family_! How is that helping?!"

Josef stared her down, feeling the suppressed anger roll to the surface again. He was cool. He was calm. He was going to stay in control of the situation.

"Perhaps we should continue this somewhere else, hmm?" he suggested, tone clipped. He was trying to be reasonable. He really was. She was making it so very difficult!

Sam snorted and looked over her shoulder at the bright world behind her.

"How? I don't think that sunlight's gonna work for me." Josef did smile this time. Proudly. He imagined this was how a parent felt when their cute little tyke took their first steps.

"Starting to feel that sense? Those are your new set of instincts. Learn them. Love them. Don't get killed. It really is a nice system." he complimented, momentarily forgetting his anger. Sam smiled and sighed. He was Josef. And she was learning what Mick already knew. You just can't help but smile with him sometimes.

"Pull the hoodie I gave you on, and pull the hood up. You'll be fine for the few seconds it takes to get to the car." he instructed gently.

Sam made a face as she untied the dark blue sweatshirt from around her waist.

"But it smells." Josef rolled his eyes.

"Well what do you expect? It was in my gym bag." he retorted, sighing. "And its better than your bloodstained one." Sam huffed as she pulled the offending garment over her head, pulling the hood into place.

Josef took her elbow and led her to the cherry red Ferrari parked across the street. Opening the passenger side door, he ushered her in.

"We're keeping the top up, right?" Sam confirmed as Josef slid into the car and turned over the engine. He glared at her and she held up her hands.

"Sorry. Just checking." The engine purred softly as Josef pulled onto the street.

They drove in a semi-strained silence for a few minutes, Sam staring out the window letting the significance of everything that had happened today wash over her in one giant tidal wave. Ouch.

"I'm mad about that sweatshirt." she stated eventually. Josef looked over at her, surprised.

"You can take it off now if you like. We're out of the sun." he told her, a little annoyed that she was still harping about the smelly sweatshirt. _God, every little thing I do... It's like being married! _Sam shook her head.

"No, not this one." She pulled the bloodied, dirty green hoodie she had been taken to the morgue in from under the seat. "This one."

Josef sighed.

"Its ruined Sam. And looks rather suspicious. I can't just let you roam LA in it." Sam sighed and continued to gaze sadly at the torn piece of clothing. "You did get hit by a car in it Sam, I can't believe a smart girl like yourself would hope it would be wearable again." Sam snorted. "Look," he tried. "I'll buy you a new one tomorrow if it'll make you feel better."

Sam smiled gently and shook her head. Letting it fall to her lap she turned to Josef.

"That was a special sweatshirt. I won that in a bet while I was in England. Any other sweatshirt just won't compare." Sam smiled, lost in memories. "Man, he was handsome." She sighed wistfully and went back to staring out the window. Josef returned his concentration to the road, startled to find himself slightly jealous.

They continued the rest of the drive in silence, neither sure how to start the inevitable conversation in a way that wouldn't cause a fight. Josef drove the car into its spot in his very large garage and killed the engine. He got out and walked around to help Sam out. She stood and wobbled a little, grabbing onto his shoulders for support. He smiled at her.

"Nap time already?" he asked, not able to resist teasing her. She frowned and let go, determined to make it without his help.

"I am not five anymore. No, it is not 'nap time'" She swayed, and Josef made to grab her arm. She swatted his hand away, leaning on a dark green Porsche instead. Josef winced.

"Not the cars..." he pleaded quietly, a pained expression on his face. Sam stopped and looked around, fully taking in just how rich her sire was.

"Are all of these _yours_?" she asked, gazing at them with a stupidly giddy smile. Josef nodded, grinning proudly.

"All 42 of these babies are mine." he informed her. She jumped and did a double take. Shaking her head in disbelief, she wobbled over to one in the middle of the garage.

"This is a 1972 Baby Blue Ford Mustang GT." she whispered reverently. Josef scoffed.

"Yeah so? It's one of the cheapest cars in this garage." Sam shook her head.

"This is my favorite car on the planet. Hands down. Back home, I had been trying to buy the _one_ I could find for three years." Her eyes took on a faraway look that Josef didn't like.

"You want to know when I bought that one?" he asked, a mischievous smile on his handsome face. Sam looked over her shoulder at him.

"When?"

"1972. It was fall, I considered it a small birthday present to myself. It was freezing, I was on a business trip in Philadelphia."

Sam's eyes widened and she smiled.

"400 years old, huh?" she asked, awe imbued in her voice.

"408 in October." he told her with a grin. She shook her head in amazement, turning around to face him.

"God, you must have seen so much." Josef shrugged.

"More than some, less than others." he replied ambiguously.

"What?" Sam teased with a sly smile. "Shy about talking about you age?" Josef smiled and took a few steps closer.

"Don't want to make you jealous." Sam smiled back.

They stood, toe to toe, staring into each others's eyes for a few seconds.. Sam had opened her mouth to speak, when the sound of footsteps cut her off.

"Ah, Mr. Konstantin. Thought I'd seen you on the cameras." a gravely male voice said from behind Sam. She jumped, and tried to turn around to face the newcomer. However, her legs decided that it really was nap time and gave out. Josef caught her and steadied her against him as he smiled at the stranger. He stepped into the light as Josef greeted,

"Vincent, how's everything been going?" The man bowed his head.

"Everything's been calm, sir. Just an average day. We did expect you earlier though, sir." Josef smiled and nodded to Sam, slumped against his side, fighting another losing battle with sleep.

"I got a little sidetracked."

"I see sir." Vincent replied with another bow of his head.

"Vincent, I'd like you to meet Miss Samantha Jameson. She'll be living here for a while." The man named Vincent bowed his large bald head, again, before shaking the hand Sam offered.

Josef looked down at Sam.

"Vincent's been with me since 1817. We've seen quite a bit together." He turned back to Vincent with a knowing smile. "Isn't that right?" Vincent finally allowed himself to smile as he nodded.

"Yes, indeed we have sir." He cleared his throat and the smile was gone, all business again.

"Shall I have an extra room prepared for Miss Jameson, sir?" Josef shook his head and began walking to the open door on the far side of the room, helping Sam along.

"No, she'll be staying with me for the first few weeks." Vincent frowned at Josef, confusion radiating from his warm hazel eyes. Josef looked over at him and shrugged.

"Live turning." he clarified for the man, receiving a surprised intake of breath. "She still needs regular infusions of my blood to keep her going, and she's a little too weak for my liking. I'd like to be able to keep an eye on her. Just in case there are any problems." Vincent looked over to Sam again, concern now flowing off him. No vampire likes to think a fledgling won't make it. "And she won't be able to sleep in a freezer for a few days yet. And she still needs to work on her vampire sense. And-" Sam poked him in the side.

"I think he gets it Josef, I'm defective." she griped sourly. Josef poked her back good naturedly.

"No, you're just a little too human." Josef smiled at the man. "She'll be fine eventually. I just think that the first few weeks'll be tough."

The group stepped out of the garage and into a mansion of such opulence Sam was sure they had taken a wrong turn and had ended up on a movie set. Josef noticed her awestruck silence and looked down to find her staring at the rooms before her with open mouthed wonder. He laughed at her and nudged her gently with a hip.

"Breath Sam. It'll all still be here if you blink." She looked up at him, eyes wide with wonder and gasped,

"You actually _live_ here?" He smiled at her and told her gently,

"You do to now, you know." Sam smiled up at him, stupidly giddy smile back on.

"I am so jealous of myself right now!"


	6. Chapter V: Strong, Mighty Baby Vampire

hey all! sorry it took me so long to update. i went back to school to find all my teachers had entered into a conspiracy against me. The Order of Make Meg Do As Much Homework In One Week As We Did In 12 Years, or something like that. I'm just wondering how they manage to fit such a big name onto their club tee-shirts! lol, sorry again, hope its a good chapter. not sure that i like it as much as some of the other ones that i've written.

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Josef slowly led Sam up the stairs, pausing every few seconds to let her catch up. She had insisted that she could walk by herself. 

"I am not an invalid sir! I am a strong, immortal, indestructible, powerful-" she slipped off the step and landed on the floor. Josef silently laughed at her, unable to help the tears that rolled down his face. Sam glared up at him, pride wounded more than anything else.

"You were saying, Oh Strong and Mighty baby vampire?" he teased as she hoisted herself back to her feet, using the railing for leverage. She continued to glare at him as she deliberately put one foot in front of the other.

"Shut up, gerk." Josef patted her shoulder and walked slowly next to her. The front door opened and a gorgeous red head traipsed into the house. Seeing Josef, she called up huskily,

"Hey Josef. Hungry?" He looked down at her and his eyes flashed blue. Sam looked down too. And glared. _Bet that perfect little human can walk more than five steps without falling on her ass... _Sam thought with a frown.

"Afternoon Camille. How was your shopping spree?" She giggled loudly at him and walked further into the house, hips swaying obviously.

"Oh just lovely. Cameron, Allison, and Lisa went with me. We had a ball. Thomas and Mark are just unloading the bags now." Three other beautiful women ran into the house, giggling, being chased by two young looking vampires. Handsome boys, actually. Twins! Sam's eyes followed their movements as they dropped the bags and chased after the three blonds, heading into the back of the house. Josef watched the proceedings benevolently, then turned back to Camille.

"Go make sure the five of them place nicely with each other, alright?" he asked politely. It was becoming obvious to Sam that this human had an important position in the Konstantin household. She nodded with a smile.

"Of course." She turned to follow them, but stopped upon seeing Sam leaning against the railing. "New freshie?" she asked with a provocative smile. Josef grinned back and pulled Sam closer to him.

"No, fledgling. Sam here was turned a couple of hours ago." Camille's smile immediately changed to one full of respect and she bowed her head. "Camille, I'd like to introduce you to Samantha Jameson. Sam, this is Camille Flanagan. She's my, hmm, housekeeper I guess you could call her. She manages the freshies." Camille walked up the few stairs the two vampires had managed and shook Sam's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you Miss Jameson." she greeted with a warm smile. Sam felt her jealousy melt away and smiled back.

"Pleasure's all mine. And please, call me Sam. I'm only Miss Jameson when I'm in trouble." Camile smiled again before looking to Josef for direction. He nodded and she retreated down the steps.

"Well, I'm sure I'll be seeing you around here, Sam, but now I have to control three horny French girls. Their English is not so good. And Mark likes to pretend he doesn't understand French." She smiled again, and bowed her head to Josef. "Josef." she said smartly and disappeared through a door.

Sam looked up at Josef and asked,

"What are freshies? And why is there a brothel in your house?" Josef roared, slapping a hand on the banister next to him. Sam smiled slightly, confused at his reaction. They continued their trek up the stairs as Josef explained with a smile,

"Freshies are humans that we feed off of. Regularly I should say. I have 12 in this house right now." He grabbed her arm and hoisted her back to her feet as she slipped on a step again. "And it's not a brothel." He smiled. "Mick calls it the same thing." He shook his head as they finally made it to the top of the staircase.

"Um, I might not be the most experienced person on the planet, but it was even obvious to me what those twins were after. And those three girls didn't look to disappointed about it." Sam pointed out as Josef led her down a hallway to the right of the main staircase. Josef smiled again as Sam leaned against a wall to rest her legs.

"Yes, well, Thomas and Mark are young. Not nearly as young as you, but if I had to guess I'd say they were about 10 or 11." Sam frowned. "In vampire years." Josef amended.

Sam opened her mouth to ask another question and tripped over the hall rug, toppling over. Landing on her arms, nose pressed against the floor she groaned. Josef knelt down quickly and asked,

"Hey, you alright?" Sam nodded slowly, and let Josef pull her up to sit against the wall. She sighed and rested her head against the wall.

"Josef, when is this going to stop? I swear, I wasn't this clutzy when I was human. I'd say I was pretty graceful actually." Josef smiled and sat down next to her.

"I can't say for sure Sam." Sam glared at him. "I'm sorry, but it's different for every vamp. And well, you haven't actually transitioned yet." he offered with a shrug. Sam bared her tiny, pointy teeth and asked,

"You sure about that?" Josef smiled.

"You've made some of the transition, but the biggest part is still ahead of you." Sam sighed. "I know this is hard Sam. But it'll be worth it." Josef assured her quietly. "Trust me." he ordered with a provocative smile. "I haven't had a complaint yet." Sam snorted and looked at the ceiling.

"Why am I defective? I've done everything just the way you've told me to."

Josef sighed and tugged on a lock of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. Sam looked back at him and he smiled.

"You aren't defective. I don't make defective vamps." he told her, cocky glint in his brown eyes. Sam chuckled softly.

"Than why am I so weak?" she asked with a self- deprecating smile.

"You know what I was saying about you not making the full transition?" Sam nodded. "Well, until you do, you're still dead sort-of." he tried to explain.

"I'm what?!" she nearly shrieked, eyes popping open.

"Fine, dead was the wrong word to use!" he amended quickly. "Its more like you're in a state of suspended animation. And you will be until your body finally reacts with my blood. See," he leaned in closer, gaining her attention again. "In order to complete the transition from human to vampire, your body needs to die. Your's hasn't exactly done that yet." Sam met his eyes with a look so bewildered he almost laughed. Josef had surprised many people over his very long life. He was a vampire after all. Back in the good old days you hunted for your food. But never, not once, did he actually understand the term 'deer in the headlights'. Until now, that is.

"So, I'm not dead," Sam started. "But I'm not alive anymore either." Josef nodded. "So I'm like Jesus or something?" she asked, grabbing at straws, desperately trying to understand. Josef smiled and shook his head.

"Sorry, you don't get to start your own religion Sam." She didn't even process the joke. He frowned. That was a good joke he had just wasted!

"Hey," he said, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. "Everything will be fine. I won't let anything happen to you that isn't supposed to." She didn't respond. Josef could feel fear start to crush her. "Come on Sam." he ordered, standing and pulling her up with him. "Time for bed." He smiled as she frowned at him.

"I may be in a slight state of shock right now, but be informed that I am filing away every snide comment that you make and will make you pay for all of them later." Josef grinned at her.

"I'm shaking in my 400 dollar shoes." he told her.

"400 bucks?" she asked, looking at his Armani shoes. She nodded and shrugged. "They look nice."

"Thanks." He beamed at her.

"No problem." She smiled to herself. "You're such a girl." He frowned.

"I heard that."

"You were supposed to."

He continued down the hall, shaking his head, Sam trailing behind him, silent once more and lost in her worries. He stopped at an oak door and opened it. Inside was a bedroom that made even the grandeur of the downstairs level seem like a degree of poverty. Sam felt like she had stepped back in time as she entered the room, taking in the cedar wood bed and all the other furnishings. Fur throws, dark velvet draperies, and a marble fireplace on the wall across from the bed were the first things to jump out at her. But they wouldn't be the last.

"Josef, you're crazy." she stated, forgetting that she had yet to 'die' and focusing on the scene in front of her. Josef smiled.

"Yeah?" She nodded.

"Yeah. This is just crazy." She ran across the room and vaulted into the high bed with a grin, smacking her ankle against the side.

"Ouch!" she squealed, grabbing the offended appendage, laughing through the pain. "Wow, that was dumb." She buried her face in the pillows.

"Yep, crazy." she said, voice muffled. "But very comfy." she mumbled.

Josef grinned quietly to himself. This was his room. Very few of his numerous girls ever came in here. This was **his** space. He hated when people invaded it. But not this time. She just looked so right buried in twelve pillows on his bed. He couldn't explain it, but he never wanted her to leave.

"This is exactly how my rooms looked when I was human." Josef confessed quietly, walking to the bed. He sat on the edge, playing with the heavy comforter. Sam sat up and grinned at him.

"Without the stunningly attractive fledgling in your bed though, I'm sure." she joked, flashing a cheeky smile. Josef grinned back, excited by the sudden shift in mood.

"Sam, it's starting." She looked at him, quirking an eyebrow.

"See?" she asked, grin moving into her green eyes. "You really are crazy." Josef smiled back and shook his head.

"No, your transition is is starting." Sam cocked her head, perplexed by this sudden revelation. "Mood swings only happen to fledglings. You wouldn't be getting them unless your body was starting to change. Your mind set will most likely switch before your body does, so there's less confusion when the pain hits." Sam frowned. "Oh yes, there will be plenty of pain." he assured her with a serious smile. Sam sighed.

"Great." Josef smiled and stood up.

"My freezer is through that door," he pointed to a bookshelf to the right of the fireplace. Sam squinted at it and sighed.

"Wow, you really **are** crazy," she informed him, crossing her arms. Josef grinned at her and offered her his hand. She looked down at it and took it with a smile. They stood and Josef led a wobbly Sam to the 'door'. He pointed out a leather bound book on the fifth shelf from the bottom, 16 books in.

"This," he indicated. "Is a door." He grabbed the book and the shelf swung aside to revel a room lit with a blueish haze. Sam shivered and stepped closer.

"You weren't kidding about that 'freeze' part." Josef smiled and put the book back, watching as the door closed.

"The book is _War and Peace_, by the way." he mentioned as he watched Sam hobble to a chair. "God I hate that book." Sam chuckled and eased herself into it.

"Do you actually sleep **in** the freezer?" she asked, incredulous. Josef nodded.

"You will too, once your turning is complete." he told her, making his way to her chair. She scoffed.

"Sorry, I might have grown up in Buffalo NY, but even I don't do **that **cold." He smiled.

"You'll adapt. Your body will need it."

Sam didn't respond, just looked deeply into the empty fireplace, searching for answers she wouldn't find.

"It's just so weird. I mean-" She paused, thinking. "God, I have no idea what I mean!" She shook he head, trying to process.

"Come on," Josef said eventually. "You need sleep." He reached down and scooped her off of the chair, holding her close as he carried her back to his bed. Setting her down, he knelt and took her shoes off.

When he stood, she was still staring blankly at the empty grate, still searching. Josef sighed. This had to stop.

"Sam?" he asked, putting a hand on her knee. She looked up and Josef felt her body's immediate reaction. Her temperature began to rise, and her heart beat a little faster. He grinned at her.

"Like that?" he asked with a leer. Sam shrugged.

"Like what?" Josef rolled his eyes.

"I can tell you want me Sam. One thing you have to learn about the abilities you're about to acquire: you can see, smell, hear, and feel everything."

He smiled as Sam blushed.

"I don't want you!" she protested weakly. She yawned.

Josef continued to smile as he swung her legs onto the bed.

"Get some sleep Sam, you really are going to need it." She nodded and slid under the blankets. Burrowing into the bed, she asked quietly as Josef was about to head through the bookshelf,

"Josef?" He turned around to find her eyes wide and a little terrified. He walked back to the bed.

"What is it Sam?" She shivered and asked,

"How soon is it going to hit?" He blinked, not comprehending. "The change. The one with all the pain." she clarified in a shaky voice. Josef smiled, relieved. He shook his head ruefully.

"I can't be certain Sam. Sometime tonight, sooner rather than later, I'd guess." She nodded, and yawned again, and was out within a few seconds.

With a sigh, Josef looked down at the frail fledgling in his big bed and his heart nearly broke. There was that bothersome feeling again!

He shook his head and walked to his freezer. He was going to need all of his energy tonight, he just knew it.

* * *

Josef woke to a long, loud groan right outside his freezer. _Alright, that's just weird..._

"Josef..." he heard someone moan and he shot up, banging his head on the top of his freezer. With a curse and a kick, he opened it up and leaned out to see Sam curled into a ball on the floor, clutching her stomach tightly, body shaking.

He jumped out quickly, kneeling down next to her.

"Sam! Sam!" he whispered quietly, smacking her cheeks gently.

She struggled to open an eye and Josef sighed, relieved. Her eyes were hovering between blue and green.

"Sam, you're beginning the final part of your transition. Your body will begin to shut down, than die entirely." She moaned and closed her eyes again.

"How long has this been going on?" Josef asked shaking her shoulder.

"It hurts..." Sam moaned as another spasm racked her body. It felt like she was drowning in needles, feeling every individual point drive home into every single nerve in her body.

"How long Sam?" he asked again.

She moaned and swallowed heavily.

"A-about half an hour." He sighed and picked her up off the cold floor. Walking through the still open bookshelf door, he gently deposited her in the bed and went over to an impressive set of drawers. He pulled out a pair of jeans and pulled them on, closing the drawer with a hip as he zipped them up.

"Make it stop..." Sam pleaded, face buried in a pillow as what felt like lava ran through her bones. She was sure they were solid now. Human bone marrow couldn't survive that. Josef smiled sadly and made his way back to the bed. Putting a hand on the back of her neck he shook his head.

"I can't darling. It has to be this way. And it will only get worse Sam." he told her softly, making soothing circles on her neck with his thumb. Sam shivered as ice replaced the lava in her body and she began to cough. Josef climbed into the bed and pulled her close to him with a sigh. He felt her erratic heartbeat and felt her body tense and relax.

"Thank you for easing my mind." Sam said as the coughs subsided. Josef smiled softly, his eyes on the empty fireplace, his chin resting on her head. Sam shivered again and whimpered pitifully,

"I thought cramps were awful." Pulling the covers back around her, Josef instructed,

"Try not to think about it. Just think about anything but the pain Sam."

"Sure. Just tell that to the knives that just killed my liver." She winced and clutched her middle again as another wave of nauseating pain rolled over her. She clung to Josef tightly with her other arm and moaned,

"There is no way I'm getting through this..."

"Don't say that Sam!" he ordered, face now devoid of anything but worry. "You'll make it. A live turning is bound to be more difficult than a normal one." Sam shook her head as a sharp pain ran down her spine from her neck to her toes. Hissing, she groaned,

"Thanks for all this. If, you know, I don't make it."

Josef was about to chastise her again for her pessimistic sentiment when her heart stopped beating. He looked down and saw her eyes had opened, revealing two ice blue orbs only a vamp could pull off. Josef grinned as relief flooded through him and shouted,

"Vincent! Lock down the freshie's wing! We have a fledgling in the house!"

He heard a quiet chuckle from very far down the hall as he slipped out of the bed to find his cell phone. Finding it with the pants he had carelessly tossed on the floor, he punched in a number and waited, foot tapping impatiently, for the person to pick up.

"Johnny, evening. You aren't with anyone, are you?" he asked, waiting for a response. "Good. I need you to come up to my room. I have a fledgling here who could use your assistance." He hung up the phone and sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. He let his hand fall and looked over to the bed and the sleeping vampire in it. Josef smiled and listened attentively to the slow, steady beat of her now undead heart. He'd done it! He grinned to himself and sighed again, resting his hands on his hips, watching his fledgling.

Josef stood there for a few minutes, just letting his accomplishment wash over him. _Damn, I'm good!_ He was about to go back and sit on the bed when there was a steady knock on the door. Josef smelled Johnny, a human he employed, behind it. He opened the door and let the young man in with a smile.

Johnny was a jovial man. He was skinny with merry blue eyes and blond hair that stuck out in all directions, a very handsome human. He always had a cheeky smile for you, and never a mean word. Josef genuinely liked the boy, as he had his father, and his grandfather, and so on.

"Johnny. You're looking more like your mother every day!" Josef informed him with a smile, clapping him on the shoulder. Johnny smiled back and nodded his head to the bed.

"Is that the fledgling sir?" Josef nodded, smiling proudly at the still sleeping Sam. Johnny smiled up at him.

"She's very pretty sir." Josef nodded.

"That she is. And she'll be hungry. Hold on a second." He walked over and sat next to Sam's head.

"Sam, Sam wake up." Sam's eyes snapped open, revealing their brilliantly icy blue hue. She inhaled deeply and her eyes shifted from Josef to Johnny, who was still standing by the door. She jumped up, but was shoved back down by Josef.

"No." he commanded firmly. "You will exercise control over your blood lust, Sam." She breathed deeply through her nose and closed her eyes. She nodded her head after a moment and opened her eyes again. They were still vamp blue but Josef could see signs of intelligence, not just the animal need for a meal. He nodded and released her arms. He stood and pulled her up with him as he made his way to Johnny.

"Sam, you're going to need to feed from fresh victims for the first few days. Your stomach won't be able to handle anything else." He pulled her to stand in front of him and rested his hands on her hips, ready to yank her away if necessary.

"This is Johnny. You may feed from him tonight." Sam nodded and inched foreword, eager. Josef grinned at her enthusiasm, but pulled her back and closer to him.

"Not until I say go, you over eager little vampire." Sam sighed in frustration, smelling the fresh blood pumping languidly through the human's body. It was torture!

"Now, feeding from the neck is different than from the wrist. You won't want to stop, but you have to Sam." She nodded again, eyes still focused intently on Johnny, who wasn't fazed by the unblinking concentration on his jugular. He was unafraid standing in front of her, hands in his pockets, stance neutral and unprovocative. This wasn't the first fledgling he had fed.

Josef walked her closer and he could sense her fangs coming down. He smiled and said,

"It's just a quick, clean bite Sam. You only need one." She nodded again. Josef let go and stepped back as Sam immediately latched onto Johnny's neck. The young man winced as her teeth pierced his skin, but he soon adjusted. He rested his hands on her hips as hers grabbed onto his shoulders. Josef could see their bodies touching, swaying as she drank, molding together. And he couldn't help but be a little jealous. That was his baby vampire that man was touching!

After a minute, he pulled Sam gently away by the belt loop on her jeans and wound an arm around her waist, pulling her close. He felt the blood run through her system, awakening new senses, fueling her lust for anything that moved. Johnny smiled at them, holding a hand over his neck.

"Night sir. Goodnight Miss." he said with another smile and left. Sam stood against Josef, breathing heavily, blinking rapidly as her vision swam before her. She was seeing so much, her brain couldn't catch up. Josef felt everything and grinned. Spinning her to face him, and keeping her body pressed against his, he asked with a knowing grin,

"Feeling powerful, aren't you?" Sam grinned back at him, pearly fangs extended just a bit further than her other teeth, and nodded. Josef grinned down at her. She looked so impish. He pressed a quick kiss to her smiling lips and let go. Before he could turn away, Sam grabbed his arm and pulled him back for another kiss, nipping at his bottom lip just hard enough to draw blood. He pulled away and grinned as she licked his blood off of her lips with a smile. She turned around and looked at the rug beneath her, instantly fascinated.

Josef grinned.

She didn't even acknowledge him as he chuckled and made his way back to his freezer. He knew that as long as she had blood in her stomach, Sam could stand there, looking at the rug until she was satisfied that she'd seen everything there was to see about it. As he passed by, he grabbed her into a spontaneous one armed hug, suddenly feeling very light hearted and giddy.

"If you get tired of that, don't sleep in the bed. Your body won't be able to regulate your temperature properly and you'll end up with a whopping fever. Come find me and we'll work something out." Sam again didn't even acknowledge him. He smiled and walked over to the bookcase, pulling on _War and Peace_.

"Goodnight Sam." he called as the door swung shut to his freezer.

Sam smiled as she continued to observe the rug. She put her finger to her lips, where his had been only a minute before.

Being a vamp definitely had some perks.


	7. Chapter VI: Indian Love

hey all, i'm back again, taking another stab at the juicy characters CBS has given us! wow, didn't u just LOVE friday's episode?! i cried so hard! and it is seriously hard not to spoil it for anyone who might have not seen it yet, lol. i have a problem with that, sorry in advance.

sry about the long wait, no matter how hard i tried, i couldn't seem to get ANYTHING to come out of my head and out onto the page. so i had to apply to one of my genius friends who is singularly amazing at diffusing writers block -we're actually writing an independent novel together, she really hates fan fiction lol- and i cobbled together a few ideas. for the next few chapters. not sure if i'm entirely satisfied with how this worked out, but hey, i owe you guys a chapter and its not gonna get better just by me looking at it!

alrighty, so down to business folks. i've been playing around with an idea and i've decided to go with it. i'm going to confess something to you all: i've gotten most of the muse for this story from my i-pod, so i think its about time to give Xavier some credit. yes, i named my i-pod. don't laugh at me, i love that thing. lol, so i'm going to try and name every chapter after the song that inspired it. don't worry, i'll tell you what it is in my author's note. and i'm going to try my darnedest to write the song into the chapter somehow. but hey, if it doesn't work, i'm not going to sacrifice the chapter to fit it in.

'Indian Love' is a song by the Lakes. Enjoy!

* * *

Josef woke several hours later, alert, aware, and happy. He smiled broadly to himself as he opened the top of his freezer and hoisted himself out. Listening intently, he heard the soft thump of Sam's heart in the next room thudding gently in her newer, more powerful body. He pulled the jeans he had discarded last night over his boxers and kept listening. He heard the beat accelerate and he felt her moving to a different spot in the room. She was closer- 

He heard a yelp of pain as Sam's heart rate sped up to alarming proportions and he heard her whimpering near the door. He quickly ran out of his freezer room to find his fledgling curled up in a ball near the door, in pain, clutching her eyes.

"Sam?" he asked, kneeling down in front of her, already knowing what had happened. She looked up at him and winced. "I guess you opened the blinds, huh?" She nodded and glared at him when he smiled.

"It's not funny." she growled, pushing herself off the ground, hands clenched into fists. _Who was he to mock and ridicule? Who was he to kneel there- shirtless- and pretend to be some all- knowing, Adonis, benevolent and genius to a fault!? God damn it, he isn't perfect! Right there, his eyebrows aren't even! There, right there, plain as day! _

Without understanding the impulse, Sam gave in and launched herself at Josef, fists flying, fighting to wipe that imperious smirk right off his too-handsome face. She clawed at his bare chest when she knocked him over flat on his back, straddling him and fighting to make him hold still.

Josef was surprised. The rage had really blossomed in her. Normally it took a while for a fledgling to give into the fury that seized every newborn, the need to spill blood, to avenge, and to enjoy doing so. Not with Sam apparently. He let her get in a few good punches, smiling to himself as she did so- she was definitely his baby vamp, those punches had really hurt!- before bucking her off him and standing up. Sam glared at him, eyes following as he went over to the mirror to inspect the damage before it vanished. Her nail marks were deep, war trenches marring the smooth perfection of his skin. He smiled at the sight of them and turned back to Sam, who had stood and was ready to attack again.

"Come on Sam. You aren't really angry with me." he told her, smirk once again in place. With an infuriated roar, Sam's face changed to that of the beast inside her and she lunged at Josef, intent on causing as much damage as possible before he threw her off. He stepped out of the way just in time, allowing Sam to crash into the dresser, headfirst. He picked her up by the scruff of the neck and demanded,

"Are you finished?" Sam snarled in his face and tried to bite him. He dropped her and went over to the door. Sam followed. She tackled him around the waist, hard, sending them both crashing through the solid oak door, great hunks of wood flying through the air. Now Josef was pissed.

"That's enough Sam!" he roared, jumping out of the rubble faster than the dazed fledgling could follow. She shook her head to clear it and stood up, swaying on her feet. There he was, glaring at her, stance restless, eyes challenging. One she had to accept.

"I disagree." she managed to say somewhat calmly. He sneered at her, inciting her rage to even higher levels. She tried to punch him, only to have her pathetically tiny fist flicked away brusquely. She tried to get at him, every attempt failing. _I have to get behind him! I have to get-_

Sam found herself standing behind Josef, eyes widening in surprise as she wobbled precariously at the edge of the stairs they had fought to.

"Shit!" she cursed as she slipped and fell down them, arm snapping with a dry 'crack!' somewhere around the middle of the fall. Josef stood at the top of the stairs, watching as finally she reached the ground floor of the house, to astounded to feel any pain.

"How in the name of God-" she tried to ask coherently before a wave of sickening pain rolled through her. She looked down at her arm and was shocked to see pale bone poking through the skin, her blood running down her arm, staining her ripped jeans from the day before even more.

"Oh God," she moaned tearing her eyes away from the sight and fixing them on Josef who still stood at the top of the stairs, a proud smile gracing his handsome features. All the damage she had done was gone, no more blood or scratches.

"Help?" she asked tentatively. He nodded and jumped down all the stairs, landing next to her in a crouch, with barely a sound. He grabbed her arm in his hands and warned,

"This is going to hurt. A lot." She nodded and looked away as Josef snapped the bone back into place. Sam howled in animal pain as he did so, groaning and attempting to pull the injured appendage close to her body. Josef let go and watched, satisfied, as the skin began to stitch together and as he heard the bone knit back together.

"You'll be fine." he told her with a squeeze to her shoulder. She nodded and looked up at him, questions written plainly in her bright green eyes. He smiled at her and offered her a hand up. She took it and leaned heavily against him, all energy drained.

"You need to eat Sam." he told her, wrapping an arm protectively around her waist and leading her to the downstairs study. "And then you need to sleep. Which I'm assuming you didn't do last night?" Sam shook her head which lay weakly against his chest, all her anger at him forgotten completely. "Sam," he tried to scold, but she was just too out of it. Josef shook his head. She wouldn't remember much of what he said until she had fed anyways.

"Come on," he ordered, walking her to one of the many closed doors in his house. Opening it with his free hand, he led her inside and gently helped her onto the leather couch in the corner. Sam winced as he laid her head down into a direct path of sunlight. Josef went to the windows and closed the blinds, smiling when he heard Sam sigh in gratitude and burrow deeper into the soft brown leather. He turned around to face his groggy fledgling and was struck with a sudden burst of affection for the frail vampire in front of him. He smiled slightly, startled by the sudden lump of protectiveness in his chest.

He heard her sigh again as she almost slipped into sleep and he shook off his reflections. Food first, sleep second, training third.

"Nope Sam, sorry. Can't sleep yet." Sam groaned and rolled over, facing the back of the couch now. Josef smiled ans rolled her on her back. She popped open her eyes and glared.

"Weren't you just saying I should get some sl-eeeeeep?" she yawned. Josef smiled at her and nodded.

"You have a surprisingly good memory for a fledgling," he mocked gently. She rolled her eyes at him and allowed him to sit her up with only a few protests. He sat next to her and asked,

"What do you remember from last night?" he asked, stretching his legs out in front of him. Sam squinted her eyes and stared off hard at the opposite wall. He watched her calmly, knowing it wasn't going to be much.

"I remember... a fight. We were fighting about something. And I remember pain. And the blood... I think there was blood. And I remember the kiss." She blushed an looked at her feet. Her demur, shy manner was actually kind of cute in a way...

"Is that it?" he asked, trying to make her poke around in her brain for a little while. She frowned and nodded.

"There was blood." he confirmed for her, voice gentling from his mocking tone of earlier. She started then shrugged.

"So, it was only your blood. Nothing new." she reminded him, nonchalant without the facts. Josef shook his head.

"No, it wasn't mine." Sam looked up at him, brow furrowed again. "It was human blood, Sam. You had your first real meal as a vampire last night before I left you to stare at the rug for hours." he told her softly, wanting to spare her from the pain this would cause, but not seeing a way around it. She would begin to remember her feedings now, and she couldn't live off of his blood forever.

Sam's face had gone slack. Her eyes stiller than he had ever seen them. She stared at him blankly, clearly not processing this information the way he wanted her to.

"He's fine, Sam. Probably a little dizzy, but otherwise none the worse for wear." he jumped to assure her, hoping it would animate her again. It did. Just, again, not the way he wanted it to. This girl was infuriatingly difficult.

"You mean to tell me," she began, mouth moving but eyes still very much not in his study. "That I actually," she paused to look quickly around the comfortable room. "_Ate_ someone?" she hissed quietly.

Josef couldn't help himself. He shouldn't have, he knew it. At this stage in Sam's development, she was extremely sensitive and very malleable. But he really couldn't stop himself. The way she said it, as though she expected the armies of God to come running through the door at any moment and condemn her to the fiery pits of blackest Hell, it was too much. She was serious. That was how she _actually_ thought of what she had done.

He laughed.

Josef threw his head back and howled, unable to stop the waves of amusement from washing over him, unable to stop the tears from rolling down his face as he pictured her face over again. It was just too much!

Sam sat on the couch next to him, a slightly bemused expression on her face. She put her hand on Josef's knee to try and bring him back to the present. He looked at her and laughed again.

Finally, he managed to choke out through great heaving laughs,

"Yes Sam, you opened your mouth wide and took a great, giant bite out of him, bones and all." Sam realized that he was laughing at her. And that did not make her a happy camper.

"It's not funny Josef!" she roared at him, effectively stopping all laughter. "I might've hurt him!" Josef took her hands in his and tugged on them.

"Hey, Sam, I'm sorry. I was just joking around." Sam snorted. "I don't want to hurt you Sam. It's just that the idea of you taking a bite out of someone was just, well, absurd." Sam frowned at him, hurt. He smiled gently at her and pulled her close to his chest.

"I'm sorry if you thought I was making fun of you Sam. I really wasn't." She allowed herself to be petted and snuggled closer to him, her lack of sleep starting to tell, combined with the assault on her emotions he had just made.

"So, I, um, drank his blood?" she asked timidly, unaccustomed to the words and stumbling a little. Josef smiled proudly at the memory and nodded.

"That you did indeed. You managed quite well for your first time too." Sam shuddered.

"Please tell me I didn't hurt him. I don't think I could forgive myself if I killed him." Josef shook his head vigorously.

"Don't fret about it Sammy. You were perfect. And you didn't hurt him." She sighed sleepily. Josef decided to let her sleep for a bit before letting her eat. She needed the rest.

* * *

"Mick, this had better be important, you just woke up Sam." Josef told his friend as he opened the study door to find not only Mick, but Mick's human trailing after him. He smiled graciously at Beth. "Beth. How lovely to see you again." She smiled back at him and nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned to the couch to find Sam sitting absolutely still and staring at her like she was the most engrossing thing on the planet. 

Mick knew that look and quickly put himself between them. Josef smiled and moved closer to Beth as well, ready to fight off a hungry fledgling if necessary.

"Just coming over to see if you've managed to kill your new pet yet. You didn't do so well with the fish I gave you for you birthday a few years ago." Mick joked, acting more relaxed than he was. Beth frowned.

"I thought you said vampires didn't do well with pets." she questioned him. Mick smiled as Josef looked down at Beth, a mischievous smile lighting his face.

"We don't. I've always wanted to taste tropical fish." he told her, grin on his face widening when she made the connection.

"But that's horrible!" she started to protest. Mick laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It was a joke Beth." Beth glared at the two of them as they laughed and crossed her arms.

"Fine, I'll just sit with Sam until the two of you learn some manners." She started to walk to the couch but was intercepted by two vampires who urgently herded her back to where she had been near the door.

"That wouldn't be a good idea." Josef told her, a sheepish smile on his face. Beth looked up at Mick, who only shook his head.

"Why not?" Beth asked. "I've spoken to her before, she isn't going to bite or anything." Sam continued to stare hungrily at Beth. Josef snorted.

"Well, that isn't exactly true." Beth raised an eyebrow at him. "She completed her transition last night, and when she smells fresh blood, especially blood so heady with pent up, ehem, _energy_ like yours," Beth blushed and looked anywhere but at Mick who was trying to stare through the wall with equal fury. "She is very likely to forget that she likes you as a person and not as a meal and she will." Josef shrugged. "Bite." he finished with a proud grin. Mick rolled his eyes. He knew that if Josef had his way, Sam would be on the streets tonight, learning how to catch a willing meal on her own.

Beth's eyes widened, and she looked around the wall the two vampires had made of themselves at Sam. She started when she realized what the intense look was and glanced at Josef.

"She's eaten already today, hasn't she?" Josef shook his head.

"I was about to feed her when the two of you popped in." He shrugged and walked to his desk, pushing a button hidden under it. A few seconds later, one of the French girls from the day before waltzed into the room, sultry smile, and very little clothing, on. Beth was surprised that she didn't need a hip replacement with the way she walked.

"Oui?" she asked, grinning at Josef, who took no pains to conceal a smirk as he obviously looked her up and down, fangs extending slightly in approval. Sam noticed too, and stood up, ready to strike. As far as she was concerned, Josef was hers and anyone trying to steal him would be dealt with accordingly. Mick stepped in, grabbing her around the waist and hauling her back. The girl turned her pale blue eyes to Sam and smiled, giving her a friendly wave. Beth was stunned. She had almost had her throat ripped out, and she was waving and smiling at an angry, possessive vamp.

Josef obviously didn't hire freshies based on brains.

Josef stepped lightly to the girl and gestured for her to walk closer to Sam. He smiled as Sam glared and growled a little, eyes switching to their icy vampire blue.

"Sam, this is Valerie." Sam made no sign of hearing him. Valerie continued to smile as Josef said, "Sam, you may feed from her, but I swear if you don't control your anger and if you don't stop at exactly the right time, I won't take you out hunting tonight." Sam glared at him, most definitely not approving of this plan. She finally nodded, glowering, and Mick released her. Beth huffed.

"Mick, you know she won't stop. She's pissed!" Mick smiled down at her.

"If she doesn't, Josef isn't joking. And Beth, there are two older vampires in the room, don't you think we could save her from the wrath of a day old baby?" Beth flushed and shrugged, not believing.

"Mick, you should do something." Mick shook his head and led her out of the room, hand at the small of her back.

"Interfering between a fledgling and their sire is one of the biggest unwritten no-no's of the vampire community Beth." She frowned, not in agreement but let the door close after them. The pair waited outside for a few minuets and Beth was surprised to see Valerie exiting the room, unscathed save for the two small puncture marks on her neck. She smiled at them as she passed. Beth only just managed one back. Mick smiled down at the feisty reporter.

"See? Josef knows what he's doing." Beth shook her head in amazement. "Sam needed to learn to control herself, so Josef made sure she was good and riled up."

"You vampires are crazy." was all Beth managed to say, Mick chuckling quietly next to her.

Sam stood riveted to the spot, feeling the new blood coursing through her veins with a pleased smile one her face. Josef looked on, proud she was able to reign in her emotions and feed without hurting the freshie.

"Good job Sam." he praised quietly. Sam opened her eyes and looked at Josef, still vamped out, a worried expression on her face.

"My face feels strange." Josef smiled at her. It really was like having a baby.

"That's because your features are still decidedly vampiric," he told her gently, grabbing her elbow and leading her to a bathroom off of the study. Sam gasped when she saw her face in the mirror, and turned away sharply.

"I look like a monster!" she whispered quietly, shock written plainly on her pale face. Josef shook his head with a frown.

"No, you look like a vampire ought to look." he told her seriously. He was going to have none of this monster business bandied about in his house. Sam snorted.

"Yeah, I think the two are pretty much synonymous." Josef snarled at her, earning another startled intake of breath.

"Don't ever say that again." he warned quietly. Sam nodded slowly, fear trickling into her scent. He sighed. "Sam, you aren't a monster, you're just not human anymore. The two don't go hand in hand." She nodded and he beckoned for her to come closer. She did so, and he grabbed her hand, leading her to the mirror again. He turned her around and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Sam, you can control this, just like you can control your anger." She nodded, still refusing to look into the mirror. Josef sighed. "You have to look into the mirror to see Sam, the effect is kind of lost if you aren't paying attention." She smiled slightly at his exasperated tone and looked up. Josef had let his face slip into that of a vampire. And then he switched it back again. Sam blinked.

"How did you...?" she asked. Josef smiled and rubbed her shoulders.

"Wash your hands." Sam turned around and looked at him like he was crazy. He smiled at her and nodded his head at the sink. She sighed and rolled her eyes, turning the hot water on high and grabbing the soap.

"If I smell, you can just tell me, you know. I know I must look awful, I did die and then drink blood. Twice." she joked, washing her hands thoroughly, enjoying the relaxingly normal chore. Josef shook his head, still rubbing her shoulders.

"Just relax." Sam shook her head again, and after five whole minutes of washing with the piping hot water, she turned it off and asked,

"Now what?" Josef inhaled deeply, her cent was truly intoxicating now. She was relaxed, she was happy, if not a little worried her face was still in vamp mode.

"Look at your reflection and breathe." Sam complied and waited. "Now, be Sam the human again." he ordered, still rubbing her shoulders. Sam sighed and let go. He felt the worry leave her body, replaced by a deep calm he didn't know a girl of her temperament could find. And with a triumphant 'yes!' her face was back. He felt the world come back and her vamp face was back on. Then she was calm, and it went away.

He grinned, pleased at her improvement.

"Careful," he chided with an ever widening grin. "Your face might stick that way." Sam stuck her tongue out at his reflection and they both laughed, her mind eased for the moment. But Josef knew that that was likely going to change soon.

"Thanks." Sam said eventually, serious face on. Josef smiled gently down at her. He kissed her forehead gently, all teasing gone and nodded.

"Its what I'm here for." He nudged her nose with his. "What I'll_ always_ be here for." he promised her, his eyes soft and gentle. Sam grinned back at him slowly and nodded.


	8. Chapter VII: Sweet Child of Mine

thanks for all the spantabulous reviews folks! seriously, you have no idea how big the smile on my face gets when i turn my computer on and see the great things you people say about my story. i swear to god, it's got to be the biggest ego boost in the world, lol.

Song's called Sweet Child of Mine by Guns and Roses. (oh, and if you didn't know that was G and R, come on, seriously. lol)

* * *

Sam seated herself on the couch, stretching out with a sated sigh. Josef marveled at her mood shifts with a grin and opened the door, letting an intrepid blond reporter stumble into the room. She had the decency to flush when Josef cocked an eyebrow at her. She shrugged. 

"I had to know. Curiosity and all." Mick shook his head as he followed her in.

"Sorry Josef. You can't really stop her when she thinks she's found something." he apologized to his friend. Josef smiled back at him with a shake of his head.

"I've said it before Mick, and I'm saying it again. That human has you wrapped around her finger." Both Beth and Mick blushed furiously at this.

"She does not!" they denied in unison. Sam grinned from her sprawled position on the couch and couldn't resist a small chuckle. Beth turned to face her with a grin of her own.

"Can I sit next to you now, or are you still going to eat me?" Sam shook her head with a smile and pulled her legs closer to her body, giving Beth room to sit down. Mick remained standing, watching Josef watch his fledgling carefully.

"If you need to, you know..." he began awkwardly. Josef shook his head.

He sat on the coffee table in front of Sam and tugged on her jeans. Sam looked away from the window that she had been looking out of and smiled at her sire. He grinned back.

"Ready for some mind blowing information?" he asked with an even bigger grin. Sam nodded enthusiastically. Mick cleared his throat and grabbed Beth's arm. She stood, clearly not happy. Josef looked up.

"Hey, always nice seeing you take your pet out for a walk Beth." he remarked idly, a slow smile on his face. Beth chuckled and Mick glared from behind her.

"Very funny Josef." he glowered before leading the human out of the room.

Josef was still smiling when he turned back to Sam. He moved to the spot Beth had vacated and smiled when Sam moved in closer to him. She sighed again as she leaned against his arm and asked in a small, tired voice,

"So, what's on the agenda for today, mon capitane?" Josef smirked at the top of her head. He held his wrist in front of her nose and shook it around a little to gain her attention.

"You need to drink first, maybe it'll wake you up a bit." Sam scoffed.

"That's unlikely, I'm exhausted." She took a hold of the offered arm and paused,

"But don't I drink human blood now?" Josef smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Sam, you'll need to drink my blood for a few more weeks till I can wean you off it completely."

"Seriously?"

"No Sam, it was a joke." She turned her head around to look at him, eyebrow raised. Josef chuckled and nodded his head at the wrist she still held.

"You gonna eat that or not?" She sighed, irked at his teasing and let the change come over her. She inhaled deeply, eyes closed before biting down quickly, and drinking deep. He could have sworn she smiled as she drank, but he was soon to lost in the spectacularly erotic feeling of having one's blood drank.

He was starting to feel a little weak by the time he realized what she had been doing. He shoved her gently off his wrist with his free hand and stared at her. She smiled back at him and licked her lips.

"You taste better than you did yesterday," she informed him, voice still mixed with exhaustion. He snorted and shook his head. _No, she has no idea what she just did..._

"You just tranced me!" he told her, a proud grin spreading over his face. She raised both her eyebrows and nodded slowly.

"Riiiiiight." she agreed slowly. He shook his head and held up his wrist.

"You just put me in a trance while you were drinking my blood. Its one of the abilities you have now."

"I did no such thing!" Sam denied.

"Oh yes you did darling. You liked the taste so much that you unconsciously decided that you were going to make sure I didn't try and get my wrist back." Sam folded her arms across her chest and shook her head.

"Nope, sorry. I didn't do that."

"Yes you did!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-huh!" Sam stuck her tongue out at Josef, letting out a strangled yelp when Josef grabbed it and wouldn't let go.

"'Ew le' go of mah kun'!" she demanded, eyes challenging him to disobey. Josef snickered at her. He held his free hand to his ear and asked,

"What was that? I didn't quite catch that slurred command Sam. You should really look into fixing that speech impediment." Sam glared at him, swatting at his hand- still holding her tongue captive- trying in vain to make him let go. She scrunched her forehead in concentration and managed to make her fangs descend a few centimeters. She snapped her teeth around his fingers, hard enough to draw blood. Josef let go with a laugh.

"Alright, you vicious animal. Down doggie!" She felt her teeth slip back to normal and pressed her lips together tightly to keep from repeating her former mistake. Josef continued to smile at her.

"That was pretty good. I couldn't only extend my teeth for a few days after I was turned." Sam beamed in pride. "You're gaining a lot of control Sam, keep it up." Sam leaned back into him, and sighed.

"Are you okay?" she asked in a tired voice, her new body still not accustomed to all the activity. He nodded. "Are you sure I didn't take too much?" she pressed. Josef could hear her undead heart begin to slow, she was fading fast. He smiled gently down at her and nodded again.

"You did, but I think somehow, I'll live through it." he paused to listen to her still decreasing heart rate. "Just sleep Sam. You've fed, you can't really help it, it'll make you lethargic for the next few days, at least." She nodded slowly, burrowing her back into his chest, before dropping off entirely.

* * *

When Sam opened her eyes again, the study was dim, the sun was just beginning to set, and Josef was no longer acting as a breathing pillow. She jolted upright, eyes snapping around the room, desperately seeking out her sire. She didn't understand this unreasonable need to find him, but she knew that the frantic pounding of her heart in her rib cage would only abate when she was safe with him again. She slid off the couch and ran to the door, flinging it open and dashing out into the darkened hallway outside. She slid into the tiled kitchen, sock-clad feet almost sliding out from under her; only her new, sharp reflexes saved her from falling flat on her back. She didn't even stop to wonder at it, just kept running, fear coursing through her veins at an alarming pace. 

She ran smack into someone and was only spared the inevitable fall by two strong hands wrapping around her arms.

"Miss Jameson?" a deep, steady voice questioned from above her. Sam struggled to get away from the vampire she had met yesterday.

"Let me go, I have to find him!" she cried, struggling in vain to get free. Vincent lifted her off the ground in an attempt to calm her down and got kicked in the shin for his trouble. He winced and put her back down, asking slowly,

"Find who?" Sam continued to strain against his strong fingers when a voice came floating to them from down the hall.

"Vincent, what's going on?" Josef stepped into the room, surprised to find Sam awake this early.

"Sam, what are you- oof!" Sam had finally torn herself away from the older vamp and launched herself into Josef, clutching him powerfully around the middle, heart beating erratically. He pulled her in closer and walked them both through the hall and into the room he had exited, leaving Vincent standing shaking his head. He would never understand his master. Or his fledglings.

"Sam, what in the name of God is wrong?" Josef asked, still holding Sam gently as she clutched him, sobbing.

"I, I could- couldn't find you!" she sobbed, face buried in his expensive navy silk shirt. He sighed. One more article of clothing this girl had ruined in less than 48 hours. _Wonderful track record._

"Sam, I was going to be right back." he tried to explain, knowing that it would go nowhere. She continued to cry. He sighed again, rubbing her back to try and ease the sobs wracking her body. After a few minutes, she had all but stopped and he pulled her away from him gently. Holding her at arms length, he looked her in the eyes and asked with a smile,

"No more water works?" She nodded slowly, still shaky after her breakdown. "I told you I'm not going anywhere Sam." She nodded again. Josef stared to move away from her and smiled good-naturedly when Sam followed after him, determined not to let him out of her sight.

They were in the library, Sam realized, looking around her with interest when Josef had stopped at a desk. He shuffled some papers around and put them all into a pile at the corner. He looked up to find her staring at him, unblinkingly, waiting to follow him again. It would be kind of creepy if it weren't so cute. Mick compared fledglings to kittens. And they were, sort of. But Josef always compared a baby vamp that's been separated once from its sire to a puppy. They'll tag the sire and follow him anywhere.

And they do the staring thing to. Just like a dog.

Josef grinned at Sam. Who couldn't help but grin back. He shook his head and walked around the desk to her. She continued to smile as he wrapped an arm around her waist, staring for the door again.

"Feel better?" he asked nicely. She nodded. "Well, anyone would after staring at me for as long as you just did." he added with a satisfied smirk. Sam punched his arm gently and growled playfully.

"So," Josef started as they made their way back to the study Sam had slept the day away in. "Teaching time." Sam snorted.

"What, is it like 'You Just Became A Vampire 101' or something?" Josef frowned down at her.

"No." Sam shook her head at him.

"You're so uptight when people try to tease you. It really isn't fair you know." Josef smiled down at her and shrugged.

"Yeah, well, when you turn 400, then you get to be a hypocrite too."

"Great," Sam joked. "Something to look forward to."

Josef chuckled and sat back down on the couch Sam had abandoned, Sam sitting down next to him.

"Ok, first things first: you drink blood. Deal with it. You aren't a monster, humans replace their blood pretty quickly." Sam frowned. Josef shrugged. "Just in case you have anymore 'I'm a monster, I shouldn't exist' slip-ups. I made you. Therefore you should exist." He told her arrogantly. One thing you have to love about Josef Konstantin: no one could ever call him self- conscious.

"Do you remember this morning?" Sam frowned then nodded. "That was another perk of being a vamp. You can move pretty damn fast when you want to. You can jump too. Feels amazing. Almost like flying." he noted absently. Sam's eyes lit up.

"I can fly?!" she asked excitedly. Josef scoffed and shook his head.

"Of course not."

"Oh." Josef smiled at her and pinched her arm affectionately.

"Well don't be so dreary about it, its not like we can't do other neat tricks." Sam smiled up at him, waiting to be educated.

"For one, that trance thing I told you about? That puts your meal in a sort of daze. It really is a nice feeling. Most vamps use it to make the feeding more pleasurable for the donor." Sam nodded. Josef stared at the wall across from him, absently stroking her arm. "You won't be able to go outside during the day for a few days without hurting you eyes. After that, it won't do anything to you except slowly weaken you. Sunlight is not the vampire's friend," he explained quietly.

"You're stronger as well, Sam. You'll explore that, as you get older. And as you really begin to age, you'll become even stronger." Sam smiled, mischievous glint in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Are you strong and manly Josef?" she teased, voice husky. His continually stroking was doing a serious number on her heightened emotional swings. And right now, all Josef could smell was lust. He grinned down at her, allowing a bit of fang to show.

"More than you can even imagine." Sam stared, captivated as his lips slowly moved to hers, closing her eyes as they softly brushed together. Josef kissed her gently, hands sliding up her arms to rest on her hips. Sam gripped his shoulders, steadying herself as he slid his tongue into her mouth. She slipped under the spell his scent began to weave; desire, scotch, and fresh blood all mixed with a heady musk all his own. He pulled away, grinning as Sam tried to catch his lips again.

"Nope, sorry Sam, I still have too much to teach you to let you distract me." Sam pouted at him, eyes sad and forlorn. He almost felt bad, till he saw the glint of amusement in their green depths.

"Nice try, but your puppy face won't work on me." He sat back against the couch and smiled at her.

"So, where was I?" Sam grinned back. "About to show me how strong and manly you are?" she asked, trying to get him to slip up. Josef pinched her arm again with a grin.

"Why Miss Jameson, anyone would think that you only wanted me for my body!" he teased mercilessly, eyes glowing with mischief. Sam blushed, her ears turning a flaming red, now that the tables had been turned on her again. Josef grinned broadly; her naiveté was actually more than a little endearing. "Did your ears just turn red?" Sam blushed even more; Josef could swear he saw steam rising from her ears. He tweaked them with a grin and shook his head. "You are one strange baby vampire Samantha."

"So, what do you say to going outside and having a little show and tell, hmm?" Josef asked, starting to stand up. Sam's eyes widened in shock. And Josef thought he saw- with more than a little amusement- alarm. He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek as she stood up next to him and smiled.

"I was going to show you how to control your new body, but hey, if you'd rather catch up on some TV or something, that'd be fine with me." He shrugged nonchalantly and started to sit back down. Sam grabbed his arm and hoisted him back up, nearly sending them over backwards. "Wow, you really need to learn to control **that** new ability!" Josef informed her, holding her arm to keep her upright. She smiled, ears flushing again. "Come on," he ordered, letting his hand slide down her arm softly, fingers twining with hers. She followed him obediently as he made his way out of the study Sam was beginning to think of as hers and down the hall to a comfortably furnished living room that looked out over the back lawn. And the swimming pool. Which was teaming with gorgeous young women out for a moonlight swim.

Josef smiled to himself as he made his way to the glass door that separated them. Sticking his head out, he grinned at all of the girls, who noticed his intrusion and called,

"Darlings, could you maybe take this merry gathering to the other pool?" Some of them turned to look curiously at him, delicate smiles looking slightly bewildered. He nodded his head behind him and they all tried to look over his shoulder.

Sam stood behind him, hand still clasped in his in a painfully tight grip that left both their knuckles white. He was attempting to restrain her, while she, in her vamped out mode, was struggling to get away. To get to the freshies outside, specifically. They all gasped when they saw her ice blue eyes regarding each of them in turn with a startlingly still gaze. They all looked to Josef for an explanation, unsure what to think about her.

"Fledgling. Don't worry, I have her under control, she just isn't used to so many humans all at the same time." he assured them, slipping into the mold of the benevolent protector he was for these girls. They all smiled, easily pacified. If Josef said it was safe, it was safe. He smiled. They weren't unlike Sam really. Just a lot more likely not to eat his houseguests.

Grabbing their towels, they sashayed down the lawn to the other pool, some pausing to shoot teasing smiles at Josef, which he returned with gusto. When the last of them had disappeared from view, he turned around to observe his baby vamp. She stood ramrod straight, eyes forced shut, brow furrowed in concentration, hand that wasn't clutching Josef's in a death grip clenched into a fist that Josef had no doubt could do a lot of damage if given half the chance. He whistled softly and her eyes snapped open, hovering halfway between their natural green and their vamp blue. He could see her sharp incisors extended just barely when she unclenched her jaw and let out the breath she had been holding.

"I could hear this, this pounding in my head. Like, you know when you get a headache, and its really bad, and you can hear the blood rushing in your head?" she told him, eyes narrow, trying to block out the sound which he was sure she could still hear.

"That's blood. You heard it rushing around in their bodies. It can be pretty painful for the first few months. You'll get quite a lot of those headaches, I'm sorry to report," he informed her ruefully. Her eyes were still slits, she was still holding absolutely still. Still concentrating.

"Sam!" he snapped. Her eyes briefly flitted to his face then slid back to the spot on the wall she had been focused on before. "Sam, you need to try and tune it out or we aren't going to get anything done tonight." He grabbed her shoulders and inserted himself in her field of vision. "I know it's hard, the sound is in your ears, and you're sort of beginning to like it. But you can't stand there the rest of your life." Sam blinked once. Then twice. She shook her head and focused her eyes, almost all green now to her sire's face. She frowned.

"Will that happen every time I see a human now? That uncontrollable urge to, to..." she trailed off, unable to find the right word.

"Feed, Sam. That's what that was. That was your body telling you to drink. Its alright, it happens to everyone." Sam shook her head again, shifting her gaze to the floor. Josef chucked her under the chin and let go.

"Come on, enough of this. We handled it, no one was eating ahead of schedule." Sam smiled wryly, starting to appreciate his humor in the face of situations that could have been very serious. He walked through the glass door, beckoning her to follow. She did, of course.

"Hear anything?" He asked as she stopped to stand next to him. She was about to respond to the negative, just out of habit, but caught herself. She relaxed, and heard millions of things. She heard Josef's heart beat in his chest. She heard her own heartbeat. She heard his silk shirt rustle as he breathed. She heard a door creaking in the house behind her. She heard the water lapping in the pool. She heard crickets, owls, grass rustling, and rabbits; a car from a distant highway, and- wait, and was that-

"Is that Guns and Roses?" Sam asked incredulously, forehead scrunching. Josef chuckled.

"I remember when this song came out," he told her wryly.

"I love this song!" Sam screeched happily. "Sweet Child of Mine is such a nice one." Josef smiled down at her before clearing his throat.

"Well, back to business. You are going to stand here. I am going to hide. You will not look. You will count to 200." he ordered firmly, tone brokering no room for any argument. Her mouth opened to challenge him, she wasn't comfortable with him being out of his sight, but he held up a hand to silence her.

"You need to learn to find me without losing your head. This evening was an example of you losing your head." He grinned at her. She frowned back. He sighed. "Sam, I'm going to be right here. All you have to do is find me." he reassured. She sighed and held a hand over her eyes. He grinned before walking away as she began to count.

"198...199...200!" Sam opened her eyes and let her hand fall to her side. She could feel the panicked feeling running up her spine again. She couldn't see him- He wasn't-

She steeled herself against it with a deep breath.

"Ready or not, here I come!" She set out into the night, searching randomly. And as hard as she fought it, that feeling kept coming back as strongly.

"No." she ordered herself firmly. "You can do this." She stopped walking and closed her eyes. She inhaled the sharp night air deeply, her new heightened senses sifting through the vast assortments of smells till she found a faint trace for the one she wanted. She turned around, keeping her eyes closed, and walked back the way she had come, breathing deeply along the way. Finally, she came to a tree and stopped. Opening her eyes, she looked around desperately. She was where the smell was strongest. Now where was he? He lied, he had abandoned her!

Sam jumped as she heard someone thump to the ground behind her. Whirling around, she saw Josef standing there, arms held out in front of him, smile on his young face.

"You found me. Didn't look up, like you were supposed to," he grinned even wider. "But you found me!" She stood there, appreciating her heart beating properly again, silent. "Now was that so bad?" he asked, teasing glint back in his eyes. _He always looks like he knows something I don't_, she thought with a frown. _And yes, it was that bad. But you know that. You could probably hear my heart racing from three miles away you stupid, grinning cad! I could just _**_kick_**_ you!_ Sam shoved her hands in her pockets angrily, eyes narrow again.

"I could only hear your heartbeat half a few yards away," he informed her easily. She started.

"You can read my mind?" she hissed, head leaning forward, alarm making its jaunty way through her body. Josef grinned to himself. He just loved doing that.

"No. But," he paused, waiting to see how long he could go without finishing that sentence before she hit him. Sam glared, muscles bunching, ready to launch herself at him for a repeat of this morning. "That would be cool though wouldn't it?" he asked airily, turning his back to see if she would take the opportunity.

She did.

Sam jumped on Josef's back, intent clearly to beat the crap out of him until he apologized for all the teasing and making her find him when he knew very well that she didn't like not knowing exactly where he was at all times.

She didn't expect him to purposely fall forward, using her own momentum against her, and pin her to the ground before she had a chance to enact her plot.

Sam lay on the ground, struggling to breath after having the wind knocked out of her. Josef knelt down next to her, checking her over to make sure he hadn't hurt her before raising his eyebrows and calmly asking,

"Are you finished yet?" Sam nodded, still struggling, and Josef helped her up. Supporting her with an arm around her waist, he led her back to the house and stopped outside the door.

"Jump." he commanded, letting her go. Sam turned to him with a look on her face that clearly demonstrated how crazy she thought he was.

"Off of what? We're standing on the ground, Oh Brilliant Genius." she retorted, unable to stop herself from sniping at him. He smiled and pointed up. Sam followed the direction of his finger and scoffed.

"Yeah, 'cause I can jump that high." He sighed and shook his head.

"Oh, ye of little faith," he muttered, before jumping and landing gracefully on the roof. Sam panicked as he started to walk away and jumped as high as she could to try and catch up. She overshot it. By a lot. She heard Josef howl with laughter as she began to fall back to the ground, and only his arms around her stopped her from hitting the ground. He pulled her onto the roof next to him and asked, still laughing,

"Is that the only way to get you to do something?" She glared at him and huffed. He smiled and told her,

"Now jump down." She snorted.

"I'll break my neck."

"It'll heal." he shot back. She snapped her eyes up to his.

"Seriously?" she asked, mystified. Josef nodded. He brought his wrist up to his mouth and bit down hard. He held it over to her and she watched, awestruck as the wound closed up under her nose, no trace of it on the smooth soft skin.

"Can I do that?" she whispered, stunned. Josef nodded again. He took her wrist and bit it. Sam winced and he let it go, watching as it healed, no visible mark remaining. "So I can heal from anything?" she asked, eyes already filling with plans.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you should go off and test it. You can still feel pain Sam.," he told her firmly. She sighed and nodded.

"Will you jump with me?" she asked, head down, staring at the ground below.

"I'll do you one better," he told her, nudging her shoulder with his. He jumped down to the ground, landing gently. "I'll be right here to catch you." Sam smiled at him and nodded. She made a quick sign of the cross and closed her eyes. She resisted the urge to plug her nose as she jumped off the roof and landed safely in Josef's arms. He set her down on the ground with a grin and asked, tugging her hand away from her face,

"What was the little hand thingy you did up there? Sealing your soul to God just in case I didn't catch you?" Sam nodded earnestly, and grinned.

"Sorry Josef, raised Catholic, those habits are kind of hard to break." He smiled at her and she smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand. "Oh! Hey, can you send someone to get a necklace fixed for me? Since, you know, I can't..." she trailed off, obviously ashamed of her inability to blend with humans anymore. Josef sighed.

"Yeah, I can. Where is it?" Sam reached into her pocket and dug around a bit before drawing her hand back sharply with a yelp and a curse. A necklace dangled from her finger and her skin was singed where it was touching. She shook it off and put her finger in her mouth. Josef growled, low in his throat. Silver, in his house!

He reached down and grabbed the cross with his sleeve. He glared at it, the tiniest bit of fang protruding from his mouth. He flung it away from his viciously, ignoring Sam's startled gasp.

"Josef! What did you do that for!?" she cried, pain in her hand now discarded for this new one. "That was a present for my Confirmation!" Josef grabbed her injured hand and inspected the fingers while quietly seething to himself. "They're a little scorched. Nothing a little blood won't fix," he growled.

"Sam," he hissed after a while, trying not to be nasty. "That was silver. Silver is deadly to vampires. I won't let any in my house. Not when it can be used as a weapon against me. And especially now that I have a fledgling to worry about!" Sam glared at him.

"Well you didn't have to throw it away! Josef, that was important to me!"

"I'll buy you a new one."

"I don't want a new one! I want that one!" she shouted at him, anger taking hold of her again. Josef grabbed her wrist and hauled her closer so their faces were barely inches apart.

"Samantha, have you ever had silver imbedded in your skin? Then have the wound close? Do you know how much that hurts?" Sam continued to glare at him. "What if someone attacked my house and managed to get that thing into your body? What if I couldn't find it in time? Do you know how long you would live right now with silver in your bloodstream?" He waited. "That wasn't a rhetorical question, Samantha."

"No." she spat at him.

""About two hours. And they would be the most painful two hours of your life. I would be doing you a favor by cutting you head off and putting you out of your misery." Sam was unable to help the shock flowing into her eyes.

"I'd die?" she asked quietly, fear for the first time slipping into her words. Josef sighed. He nodded.

"I would either have to let you live those two hours in pain, unable to do anything to make it stop, or I would have to kill you."

"But, cut my head off?" she whispered.

"Only way besides fire to kill a vamp quickly. We don't die Sam. And we heal." She looked up into his eyes, green ones frightened, seeking the comfort he was supposed to provide. He sighed again and folded her into a hug.

"I won't let that happen to you, don't worry. I'm just paranoid. Its why I've lived so long." Sam hugged him tightly, scared into acceptance now, sad for the loss of another link to her human life, but comforted by his presence.

"Now," he ordered, pulling away reluctantly. He watched her eyes as they watched his, still serious, and still afraid. "Smile. I don't like seeing you upset. Makes me feel like I'm losing my touch." Sam smiled slowly for him, happy he wasn't upset anymore.

"So?" she started. He raised his eyebrows. "Where's that blood you promised?" she asked with an expectant grin.

"Sam," he sighed slowly, pretending to be serious. He was having trouble schooling his features straight. "If you don't ease up on the eating, you're going to get fat." Sam huffed good-naturedly. "Then I'll send you to Mick." Sam huffed again. "And he'll only feed you crappy packaged blood."

"Bleck!" Josef nodded, still trying to pull of the serious demeanor.

"Yes, that's exactly right." He nodded solemnly and repeated,

"Bleck." Sam threw back her head and laughed at the outrageous picture her sire threw.

They strode into the house, passing Vincent doing his rounds of the house. Josef nodded to him and he returned the gesture. Sam smiled at him.

"Hey, Vincent?" she called before he was completely out of sight. He turned around.

"Yes Miss?" she smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry for kicking you earlier." Josef snorted and Vincent restrained a smile.

"It's perfectly alright Miss. I remember quite well being a fledgling." she nodded and smiled again as he turned around and continued walking.

"So when can I go to my apartment and get my stuff?" she asked as they made their way into the kitchen. "I smell. And I'm covered in blood. And my hair is really nasty." Josef sighed and turned to face her.

"Sam, you can't ever go back there."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" Josef shook his head and sat at the island in the middle of the room.

"Sam, for all intents and purposes, you're dead. That means no going back." Sam stared at him for a few seconds before cracking a smile.

"Nice. Good one pal. Nice joke. Now, seriously though. When can I get my stuff?" Josef shook his head emphatically.

"I am serious. You can't. The best I can do is have Camille grab a few things that won't be missed. But you're going to have to get new stuff now." Sam shook her head.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Unfortunately, no, I'm not." Sam scoffed, trying to hold back tears.

"I'm dead?" she asked eventually. Josef nodded. "Well, that's just, swell!" Sam barked. Josef stood and walked around to Sam, wrapping her in a hug.

"I'm sorry Sam. Really, I am. But it has to be this way. For your safety, and for everyone else's." Sam sighed and still fought the tears in her eyes.

"Yeah well, isn't that just ducky." she mumbled, voice muffled in his shirt. Josef smiled.

"I could make it ducky for you," he told her. She snorted.

"Oh yeah?" He smiled.

"Of course."

"I'd like to see you try." she challenged. Josef grinned. He wasn't a vamp who'd ever turn down a dare.


	9. Chapter VIII: Give

OK, i just want to start this off with the most massive apology that i have ever extended to anyone i the history of apologies. I AM SO SORRY!! I went to Europe, then when i got back i got caught up with studying for my AP exams -all you high school kids out there know what I'm talking about- and now, well here we are. I know that isn't a great excuse, but its all I've got. I am so sorry for leaving you guys hanging like that, really, never meant for that to happen.

OK, good news: Moonlight's back!! squeee!! hope y'all loved that episode on Friday as much as i did!! OMG, they- sry! lol, almost did that spoiling thing i was talking about! OK, well, it was fuh-mazing, lets just leave it at that, lol.

I've been doing some serious planning for ItN, and i hope you all love the results, seriously, this thing hasn't left my head even though i so rudely left you guys hanging. now, this will probably be the last update until the end of next week, AP's aren't over yet. I just decided that today i didn't care if i failed them, i wanted to write some serious josef/sam! so, keeping that in mind, I'm warning you, you wont hear from me for a while. but after that, expect at least a chapter a week! OK, well, now that i hope i have sufficiently humbled myself to you, here's the fruits of my labor!

oh, and btw, i STILL don't own ml. Seriously, this no josef thing is starting to tick me off! lol, sry, i'm a freak, i get it, i swear, chapter time now!

The song's called "Give" by Dishwalla. hope ya like it!

PS: realized this morning that i forgot something, sry!

* * *

"Hey Josef?" Josef turned around to face Sam who was sitting primly on the edge of his monstrous bed. He raised his eyebrows, urging her to speak. She smiled tentatively. "This isn't really that bad. The whole," she air-quoted herself, "'Vampire' thing." Josef shook his head with a small smile. Sitting on the bed next to her he told her with in exasperated voice,

"Sam, it's not a thing." She rolled her eyes. "It's not!" he defened indignantly. Sam cracked a grin.

"I know. I just love making you mad."Josef glared at her. "You look cute. Kinda young, but cute." Josef continued to glare, growling slightly in the back of his throat. Sam reached over and pinched his cheek affectionately.

"Aw..." she simpered, impish grin dancing on her face. "Look at the cute wittle baby!" Josef growled louder, debating with himself the advisability of biting her fingers off. They'd heal. He thought.

"You look 16 again Josef!" Sam joked, laughing at him. That was the last straw. He was 407 years old, he should not have to take this lying down...

Josef tackled her across the bed, tickling mercilessly.

"Sixteen huh?" He growled, grin in place as Sam wriggled around, trying to escape fingers that attacked with surprising accuracy. "Would a sixteen year old be strong enough to do this?" He growled playfully at her again as she pleaded with him for a truce.

"Josef! Lemme go! I'm sorry!" she couldn't breathe she was giggling so hard. "Uncle!" she cried, tears in her eyes. Josef let up with a smile and leaned on his elbow, hovering over her.

"No one ever finds out that I started a tickle war. Got it?" he asked, fingers poised to begin their ruthless tickling again if he didn't get the answers that he wanted. "I've got a reputation to protect." Sam laughed at him and was about to say 'no' when he jerked his hand toward her again.

"Okay, fine! You win, this never happened!" she laughed, dodging away from him. He grinned and pulled her back, lying down next to her.

Sam sighed and rested her head on his arm.

"Tired?" he asked, hearing the answer already as the blood pumping in her body began to slow its pace. She nodded absently, stifling a yawn.

"Make sure Camille grabs my X-Men toothbrush." Josef frowned.

"Huh?" he asked, bewildered. Sam smiled lazily, burrowing against him, almost gone.

"My toothbrush. It has Wolverine on it, she can't miss it..." Josef looked down to begin mocking her for having a superhero toothbrush but smiled gently.

"Oh Samantha. You really are one strange baby vampire." He kissed her forehead and removed his arm that she had decided to use as a pillow. Standing up, he straitened his rumpled pants and sighed. Looking back at the unconscious fledgling curled into a ball on his bed he shook his head, marvelling at her.

"But I wouldn't trade you for the world."

* * *

"Camille?" Josef asked, stepping out of his room and shutting the door -Which he had had fixed immediately. _There were young and stupid baby vampires running around the house. It would be just his luck if she accidentally staked herself, or put it in her mouth or something...-_

Camille looked up and smiled at her employer.

"What can I do for you Josef?" She asked, hip thrown out for effect as she stood in front of the handsome vampire. He grinned appreciatively.

"Unfortunately, not what either of us are thinking of at the moment." He informed her with a mischievous smile. She flashed him a pout and then grinned. "But I do need your help with something for Sam." Camille smiled, happy to see him giving his attention to what she considered a worthy project. Even humans, especially humans who have been exposed to them for so long, care about the propagation of the vampiric species.

"What do you need help with?" Josef motioned for her to follow him as he made his way down the stairs.

"Well, actually, I have a list for you, and something very important that I want to entrust to you. About everything else you can talk to Sam about, but not this..."

* * *

Sam woke up to find Josef sitting at a desk across the room. She smiled and slowly, very carefully, slipped out of bed as quietly as she could. Sam was determined to sneak up on him, and so, precautions were a must. Sam was about to jump on his back as he leaned over the wooden surface to examine something in a file when Josef's body twisted around suddenly, and with a grin the size of the state they lived in he shouted,

"BOO!" Sam shreiked and flew backwards so fast she didn't know what had hit her. Well, scratch that. she knew exactly what had hit her. It was big and wooden, and the knob was sticking into her back.

Josef howled with laughter, clutching the desk for dear life, trying to stay in his seat. Sam, while trying to start her heart back up again, glared at him.

"I'm going to get you for that." she stated quietly, trying to sound menacing. Josef guffawed and stood up, extending a hand to her. She glared at it, and pushed herself off of the door, ignoring his gentleman like gesture completely. He grinned to himself as he opened the door saying,

"I have something to show you Sam, come on." Sam stood her ground and continued to glare. "Oh come on!" he sighed with a self amused huff. "You know the only reason I did that to you was because you thought you could get the best of a 400 year old vampire." Sam glared and brushed past him on her way out the door, earning herself another grin.

"So what's so important that you have to show me?" Sam asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Oh, I just had Camille go to town to grab you a few things." Sam's ears perked up and she turned to face him.

"Yeah?" she asked in an excited voice. Josef rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Please don't tell me you're going to get all girlie about this, it would just ruin the image I have of you." Sam sighed and sped up, grinning to herself.

Camille stood as they entered the study Sam was starting to consider her second home. Sam stopped short as soon as the door was opened and stared, riveted, at Camille's neck. Josef softly cursed under his breath.

"Damn, i knew I'd forgotten something." He dismissed Camille with a nod of his head and turned to Sam, just quick enough to grab her wrist and prevent the baby vamp from following her. Sam's head snapped in his direction and she growled, eyes making the transition to vamp first.

"Oh, easy there cowboy, you've got another meal right here." He held out his wrist to which she eagerly attached herself. Josef closed the door with the hand that wasn't being used and slowly back to the desk, Sam following, lips glued to his arm. He sat down as Sam settled into a comfortably rhythm, her heartbeat slowing to match his, beat for beat. Josef soon found himself lulled by the noise pounding in his ears but shook it off with a grin. She was getting very good at this.

He gently eased Sam's head away from his wrist and grinned as she allowed herself to be cradled to his body as she savored her meal. Josef bent his head down and sealed the twin puncture holes on his wrist and lifted his head to examine his fledgling. Sam's eyes ahd opened and were glazed over, hovering between green and vampire blue. she had a satisfied smile on her face that made her look like she was coming off a major drug trip. She blinked as she felt Josef staring and shook her head, clearing the fog that had taken up residence in her brain.

"What?" she asked with a grin, flashing barley extended teeth, just two little pearly points. Josef grinned even wider and kissed her cheek.

"Nothing. You." Sam smiled. "Are you ever going to force your teeth back?" He asked eventually. Sam shook her head and chomped her teeth at him playfully. Josef shook his head and let her go.

He stood and made his way over to the leather couch and the dozens of bags that were perched on it. Sam followed, eyes bright and alert.

"I checked the tags on your jeans while you were asleep and figured that if you liked to buy your jeans from Old Navy that you'd like to buy everything else there too." he told her, gesturing to the most prolific bag section on the couch. "And I made sure she bought you these, to replace the ones you had to leave in your apartment." He pulled out two boxes and handed them to Sam.

"Holy shit Josef, these are bloody expensive!" Sam exclaimed holding up the iphone and her new ipod. Josef rolled his eyes.

"Sam, seriously, does it look like I care?" he asked with a carefree smile. Sam sighed and grinned back.

"Thanks Josef." she said and gave him a hug. He cleared his throat and stood still.

"Now, don't get all girlie on me. Remember, you have a presumed reputation to protect."

MLMLMLMLMLMLMLML

Mick sighed and rubbed his hands on his jeans. _God, get a hold on yourself St. John. This isn't the first time you've been to her place._

_Yeah, but this is the first time you've been here without work to do and knowing for sure that Josh wasn't there too._

Mick sighed again and knocked softly on Beth's door. After a few seconds, she opened it with a grin.

"Hey Mick! Come in, have a seat!" Mick grinned back, unable to help himself. He entered and let Beth take his leather jacket and asked,

"So, what's up?" Beth grinned at him and shrugged.

"What? A girl can't invite her vamp friend over just for a chat?" Mick blushed a little. Beth grinned at him. "Oh Mick, you're so easy to tease." Mick smiled at her as they moved to the living room.

"You want anything to drink?" Beth asked, moving to the kitchen. "I mean, I don't have any blood or anything, but I've got a pretty extensive collection of alcohol." Mick grinned at her.

"Scotch would be great, thanks." He sat and after a minute, Beth came back with drinks.

"So Mick," she started, sitting on the couch next to him. "What's been going on in your, I'm sure, very exciting life?" Mick smiled again and shrugged.

"Work I guess, why do you ask?" Beth shrugged again and smiled.

"We haven't really talked in a while, I wanted to catch up." Something in her smile made Mick a little wary.

"That's not all of it Beth." She started to protest. "Sorry, but I call 'em like I see 'em, and right now, you look like you're fact hunting." Beth blushed and sighed. She put her drink on the coffee table in front of them and turned to face Mick fully.

"OK, I'll admit it, I am fact finding."

"About what?" Mick asked, perplexed. What in the name of God could this tenacious reporter possibly want to know that she didn't already?

"I want to know about Sam. And Josef." she clarified. Mick's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"I don't think that's such a good idea Beth, turning isn't something that I'm at all good at talking about..." Mick trailed off. Beth smiled at him.

"I knew you'd say that. And you know that I'll just go ask Josef if you don't answer me. And with Sam still hungering for fresh blood, I'll be willing to bet that it's not exactly safe there for a mortal, and you wouldn't want me to get hurt, now would you?" Beth stared up at him with sad blue eyes that just begged for him to tell her everything he knew.

Mick was stunned. She had him soundly beaten in less than a minutes. She had backed him into a corner and left him without an escape route.

He had to admit it. She was good.

"Well..." he started, looking up to find her triumphant smile staring at him. She knew she had won. "Turnings are like having a baby." Mick said, blushing a little. "It can either be pretty easy, or it can get messy." Mick stood up and started to pace.

"See, in order for a turning to work, the human needs to be drained to almost the brink of death, then fed the vampire's blood to complete the change. And even then the human isn't out of the woods yet. One of the biggest risks in a turning? Not the human not surviving the transition. But the vampire taking too much or not being able to control himself. That's why it's always recommended for young vamps not to try and turn someone. They have less control and they might not be able to stop themselves from drinking till there isn't anything left to drink." Mick looked over at Beth to see how she was faring. She shook her head, urging him to continue. Mick sighed, and complied.

"Most of the time, the body transitions right after the fledgling -that's what the vampire communtiy calls a baby vampire- wakes up. Thier body has to die first in order for it to be reborn. After that it really is like having a new born. All they really do is eat, and sleep, and..." Mick trailed off, a heated blush spreading across his cheeks like a forest fire.

"And what?" Beth demanded, determined to get the entire story. Mick looked at the ground and muttered something indescernable to her mortal ears. "What was that?" she asked.

"And have sex." Mick muttered, a little louder, Beth was pretty sure his whole body was blushing, she coluld almost feel the heat from here.

"And then what?" she asked, trying to cut him a break. He jumped on the chance to get away from this aspect so fast Beth was surprised he didn't trip over it.

"Well, see, sometimes, not all of those things happen. Or they happen in not the most preferable settings. Like take Sam for example. She was clinically dead. To your kind, she was long gone. To our kind however, well, she wasn't. But because she was already so close to death, even a vampire as old and as in control as Josef didn't want to risk trying to drain her. Her body just wouldn't have been able to handle the stress.

"So he preformed what we in the communtiy call a live turning. He fed her his blood before her's was out of her body. That meant that she stayed human, or semi-human for a longer period of time. It also meant that when her transition -or when her body died to be reborn- it was probably a lot worse. And moste deffinetly more dangerous."

Mick stopped and looked at Beth. She was sitting on the edge of her seat, absorbing all this information with a look of absolute wonder.

"Mick, this is just, wow!" Mick smiled slightly.

"Wow good or wow bad?" He asked slowly. Beth grinned at him.

"Wow good!" Mick sat back down next to her. "Mick it's amazing! It's just so fascinating!" Mick smiled gently at her.

"I'm glad you think that." Beth schooched closer to him and stared, trying to imagine Mick going through all the things that he had described. And it was all Mick could do not to reach out and touch her. Then she moved to close.

All Beth knew was that one moment she was studying Mick's eyes, and the next, Mick's mouth was on hers. Not that she minded. Au contraire! She most definitely enjoyed it. He was holding her face to his with both hands and her hands slowly entangled themselves into his gorgeous hair. _...have to remember to ask him what shampoo he uses... _

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Mick was up and off the couch quicker than she could blink.

"I'm sorry Beth, I, I shouldn't, I'm sorry..." he stuttered and then ran out the door leaving Beth sitting on the couch touching her lips wondering what the hell had just happened.

* * *

Sam woke up to a telephone ringing next to her. it was the land line. Ah, shit, just let me sleep... But she answered it. Because a ringing telephone is like AB neg to Josef. Absolutely irresistible.

"'Lo?" Sam grogged.

"Sam?" a very familiar voice asked across the line. Sam sat up and frowned.

"Beth?" she asked, now more confussed than groggy. "What's wrong?" Sam heard Beth sigh and could tell that this was going to be a long story. "Actually, hold on, I'm going to give you my new cell number ans call me back on that."

After a few seconds, Sam's phone began to ring next to her pillow. She grabbed it and ordered,

"Talk Blondie." Beth talked. She told her everything that had happened and inserted at the end,

"Oh, and I have a name! You tell Josef to stop being a bad influence on you!" Sam grinned and settled into a more comfortable position in Josef's bed.

"OK, well, what's the problem?" Sam asked, getting Beth's attention back to where she wanted it. Beth groaned.

"He's being so dumb!!" Beth screeched. Sam smiled.

"He's a man, what do you expect?" she asked realistically. Beth sighed.

"Exactly that." Sam nodded decisively.

"Well, then why are you surprised? You know that the only way something is going to get done with this is if you do it yourself."

Beth sighed again.

"Yes, but not tonight. Right now, I'm tired and I want to go to bed." Sam smiled and yawned.

"You and me both sister."

* * *

Sam woke up with Josef standing over her, wrist held out. Sam grinned and grabbed the offering, closing her eyes as soon as her lips made contact with the soft flesh of his arm. She growled deeply, a happy sound Josef was pleased to hear and settled, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of the life giveing, red fluid. Josef looked on with a peacefully benevolent smile and sighed.

After deciding it was time to let go, Sma did so and hopped out of bed on unsteady les. She grabbed onto Josef and wobbled over to the chair next to the fire.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" she asked Josef. He smiled and handed her her laptop he had bought her.

"For you, resting, as always. For me, not." Sam smiled at him as he made his way to the desk a few feet away and turned to her laptop. She had a mission. She had a song stuck in her head and she was going to find it and listen to it.

10 miuetes and two downloads later she had it.

Josef turned to her.

"Hey, I promised to make it ducky for you didn't I?" Sam nodded. Josef stood and was back from his closet in an instant, a box in his arms. He set it down on the floor in front of her and smiled.

"Well, open it." he told her. Sam smiled back, expecting something sweet that Josef would tell her to never ever tell anyone he had bought. She was starting to understand his MO.

Victor was startled out of his patrols of Josef's property by a long, low, angry growl, a crash, a quack, and a shout.

"Josef, I swear I'm gonna stake you!" Victor shook his head with a smile and kept walking.

_That I want to remain  
A child with you forever  
And hear as you lay before me  
You tease me and tell me to stay  
But what would you give  
What would you give?_


	10. Chapter IX: Sexy Back

okie-doki folks! show time is approaching fast, and i've got an update for you! my ap's are over, AP Euro was the last ap exam i will ever take!! SQUEEEEEEE!! college here i come! WOOOOO!

ok, sorry. i'm done now, i swear.

alright, so seriously, guys you rock. really, thanks so much for sticking with me and this story, and really, i hope to not have such a break like that again. you have no clue how awesome it is to open your inbox and find reviews waiting for your perusle. well, ok, prolly some of you do, but the sentiment is still there. thanks guys!

so all of you are sending postcards, e-mails, and calling CBS right? i mean, we have to fight for it if we want another season of our moonlight. so come on girls! and guys if there are any, sorry, don't mean to leave you out, we have to fight for our right to party! -i hope some of you caught the beastie boys ref. lol, sry, back to my inspirational speech- if we want another season, we have to show those bloody networks that we're worth it and that we'll make them tons of money! we have to be polite and ask them nicely to pretty please give all 8 million of us a home on their network! we have to show them that by association with us cool kids, they by default will be perpetually cool! come on guys! lets fight for McBeth, and Jock, and JoBe, and McJobe, and all the rest of the ships out there-including those OCs that we all love! i mean, if there aren't any more seasons, we wont EVER get to see Jock! and come on guys! who wants to give up that opportunity!? not i! and so, in closing, there's only one thing we can do! SHOW THOSE BLOODY SHOW CANCELLING BASTARDS THAT WE WONT GO DOWN WITHOUT AN OLD- FASHIONED STAND OFF! THIS IS SPARTA! AH-WOO!

ok, sorry for the ending, i can get carried away at times, lol. sorry mr. CBS network and affiliates...

ok, i'm gonna stop bvefore this incriminates me even further, lol. the song's "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake.

* * *

_The man had been drunk. It was as plain as that. He had been drunk and had picked a fight with the wrong guy in the bar. _

_It was apparently obvious to the drunk man that the seemingly lone man sitting at the bar was asking for it. Just what made that seemingly obvious was a mystery to everyone else, and what exactly was 'it' no one could tell either, but whatever it was, the man clearly wanted it. _

_So he had picked a fight with him. The man had calmly sat at the bar, for the most part admirably succeeding in ignoring the drunk, until he broke a chair and started to brandish it. _

_That's when the fun began. _

_Seemingly out of no where, another man appeared. Handsome in an expensive suit, he asked the man sitting at the bar,_

_"Everything alright Mick?" Mick turned and nodded. _

_"Just getting into a bar fight. You know, the usual Josef. Pretty routine." Josef grinned and turned to face the man with the chair leg. _

_"You'd better put that away kid. Before someone loses an eye." The man snorted and shook it at Josef. _

_"Or what fag? You'll kiss me?" he taunted. Josef sighed and rolled his eyes. _

_"No, you'd enjoy it to much." Mick realized what was coming and groaned reluctantly. He drained his glass and stood next to his friend with a resigned sigh. The two men -or vampires as he later found out- made an imposing pair. Mick was obviously in good shape and Josef gave off an air of power that the drunk man couldn't deny. _

_The man thrust his chair leg at them and Mick shoved Josef out of the way as both their faces changed. They had fangs! And look at those eyes!_

_"I told you to put that away." Josef growled before lunging at the man. Mick was right behind him, grabbing the leg in two powerful hands and yanking it out of the man's grasp. _

_Josef had his hands around the man's neck and was slowly applying pressure as he asked softly, _

_"You are going to leave right now, yes? And you aren't going to come back. And you won't be telling anyone about this either, will you?" The man gurgled and nodded. Josef let go and straightened his tie. His face, along with Mick's, made the change back to human and he turned around and smiled at Mick. _

_"All in a day's work, hm?" Mick growled, pulled Josef away and got a stake shoved into him. Josef looked down at his unmoving friend and snarled, face changing back. _

_He turned to the human and sighed._

_"You humans just don't learn. Do not mess with the top of the food chain." He grabbed the man's head and twisted, snapping his neck with a crunch. _

_He picked Mick up off the ground and threw him over his shoulder -avoiding the stake- and walked out of the bar, growling at the man who glared at him on his way out. _

The man woke with a shudder. Those were the dreams he dreaded most. The dreams of that calm, cool killer who had dispatched his brother with no remorse. It was those images that kept replaying themselves in his head that drove him on his search. And was it a search! The man had combed every record in Los Angeles, California and after seven years, had come to an awesome and frightening conclusion: The man that had killed his brother was no man at all.

He was a vampire.

And so the hunt began. In honor of his dead brother he tracked the vampire everywhere for four years. He didn't kid himself. He knew the vampire knew he was being watched. But the man counted on his brother's anonymity and the vampire's own plethora of enemies. He obviously had counted his eggs correctly.

And it was time for them to start hatching.

* * *

Josef woke to the sound of an extra heartbeat in his room. His freezer room. AKA, not the one the extra heartbeat was supposed to be in. He rolled his eyes as he flipped the lid open and confirmed his suspicion.

"Samantha, you need to get back into bed." Josef commanded, standing over her. Rather, the lump of comforters, pillows, and blankets that smelled and had the same heartbeat as Sam. Sam peeped out and looked at him. And blushed.

"Your body can't regulate your temperature so you need to- what?" Josef threw up his hands in frustartion. "What's wrong? Your body isn't hot enough for that blush to be a fever so what's your deal?" Sam pulled her comforter over her head and shook with silent laughter.

Josef looked around and rolled his eyes again.

"Are you twelve?"he asked in aggravation, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He bent down and picked up the bundle of baby vampire that it was his responsibility to take care of.

Walking through the bookshelf, he tossed her unceremoniously on the rumpled bed and walked over to his dresser to grab a pair of boxers. Pulling them on, he turned to face the now emerging blanket monster.

"You hungry?" he asked with a smile. Sam's entire head shot out of her cocoon and she nodded, fangs extending fast. Her tongue hit one and she jumped, feeling her face with her hands. Josef smiled.

"It's still an instinctual response. Control is going to be difficult for the first few months." he told her walking over to the bed and sitting down. Sam sat up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, licking the vein right below his ear. Josef shuddered and sighed as she bit him, stroking her head as she started to drink.

* * *

"Sam?" Beth called, knocking on the door to the study she assumed the baby vampire had appropriated. "Sam has Josef fed you yet?" Sam opened the door and smiled at the sheepish looking human. She gestured for Beth to come in saying,

"No need to worry Blondie, the big bad four day old vampire has been fed watered and isn't likely to attack anytime soon." Beth smiled and tossed her purse onto Josef's desk.

"Just checking. I still have too many things I want to do in my life before I make a grand exit." Sam smiled and threw herself onto the couch where she spent most of her time.

"Like jump the PI?" Beth blushed. "Can't blame you really." Sam continued.

"Hey, the PI will not be jumped by any fledgling of mine." Josef informed them from behind his desk. Beth jumped and twirled around.

"Josef!" she screeched. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" Josef smiled.

"Blondie, I was here all along. What? You didn't see me as you threw your bag at me? Oh, I'm so hurt." Beth rolled her eyes at him.

"If I start talking about tampons and my period will you get embarrassed and leave?" Josef grinned at her in a way that made her very uncomfortable.

"Now, why would I do a thing like that? After all, I consider myself an expert in blood."

Beth blushed and covered her ears.

"OK, that's just gross and disgusting." Sam made a face and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm going with the human on this one, you're just nasty Josef." Josef grinned and sat back in his chair.

"Vampire: 1. Human: 0."

Sam shook her head and turned to Beth who had taken a seat across the coffee table from her.

"So, Mick call yet?" Josef looked up from the computer screen in front of him.

"Mick?" Beth rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, Mr. Tall Dark and Immortal. Why does it matter to you? Jealous?" Josef grinned again.

"Oh, if you only knew..." Beth whirled around in her seat with a shocked expression on her face.

"You're shitting me!" Josef leered at her.

"You'll just have to ask him." Beth rolled her eyes and turned around.

"No, he hasn't. And I have to say, I'm getting kind of annoyed with him. God, it's one kiss! We're both adults! We should be mature about this, instead, I feel like I'm in High School again!" Beth ranted. Sam smiled at her. Beth stopped and studied her friend's smile. There was something in it that looked eerily similar to Josef's and that set her on her guard.

"I don't like that smile." she told Sam suspiciously. "It looks too much like Josef's. What exactly are you planning?" Sam shrugged and looked at her nails.

"If all else fails, there is one signal that you can give him that even men aren't thick headed enough to miss..." She looked up after a pause to see Beth staring open mouthed at her and Josef shaking in his seat with silent laughter. She grinned again and shrugged.

"I'm just saying, nothing says 'I want to sleep with you, you stupid vampire' then jumping him." Beth sat there, speechless, as Josef turned his chair around to compose himself.

"I think I'm changing the subject now." Beth said eventually, regaining the ability to speak. "So, why were you in LA Sam?"

Sam sighed and stretched out on the couch.

"I was looking at law schools down here, I would have graduated in about a year and I need to start applying soon." She laughed ironically. "Well, needed to start soon." Beth frowned.

"Where did you go to college?" Sam smiled, a real smile this time.

"Canisus." Beth grinned too. "I played soccer, I fenced, I ran, did crew."

"Imagine how awesome you'll be at those now that you're a vampire." Beth said, a grin on her face. Josef looked up again. _If that human beats me to cheering up my own fledgling, I think I might eat my tie_, he thought to himself in disbelief. Sam frowned.

"I never thought about that before." she wondered aloud. Beth grinned in triumph and Josef smacked himself on the head. Sam turned to Josef.

"You're old, you know how to fence, right?" Beth snickered, and was silenced by a glare from the 400 year old. He shrugged.

"It's been a while, but yes, I can fence. It was the only suitable way of defending one's self when I was a human." Sam grinned.

"Wanna try it?" Josef rolled his eyes.

"No. I want to get some work done so I can afford to replace the shirts of mine that you've ruined." Sam grinned proudly and Beth smiled, an evil twinkle in her blue eyes.

"You ruined some of his precious shirts?" she asked. Sam grinned and nodded.

Beth looked at her watch and sighed, standing.

"I have to get back to work, but we should all get together sometime. Like soon." Sam nodded and Josef rolled his eyes.

"Blondie, go jump your vampire." Beth stuck her tongue out at the vampire and smiled at Sam.

"See ya Sam. Ruin another shirt for me please." Sam nodded as Beth grabbed her purse and exited. She reached down and pulled her laptop from under the couch.

Josef looked up as an obnoxiously loud song came pounding out of the speakers. Sam glanced up at him than back to the screen. Josef continued to glare at her and Sam looked up again. She smiled innocently.

"Yes Josef?" He glared at her and asked calmly,

"Samantha, would you please turn that rubbish down?"

"No."

Josef sighed and asked again.

"Samantha, please turn it down?" Sam grinned at him.

"Only if you sing a song of my choosing." Josef scrunched up his forehead.

"No." Sam shrugged with a good natured smile.

"Then it's not going down." She smiled impishly at him and turned it up. Josef sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"What song Sam?" Sam smiled at him and without looking up, said,

"Sexy Back." Josef frowned.

"What?"

"Sexy Back." Sam said again. "That JT song that was popular last year." Josef shrugged. _Fine, whatever, it could be worse right?_

No, it couldn't have been worse. It turned out that Josef really did know this song. And had his own moves.

"I'm bringing sexy back." he sang.

"Yeah!" Sam interjected.

"Those other guys don't know how to- Mick!"

"Yea- hey, that's not how the song go..." Sam trailed off as she followed Josef's eyes to a stunned Mick standing in the doorway. Josef straightened his tie and glared at Mick.

"I believe it's considered the polite thing to knock before entering a room." he admonished the younger vamp. Mick stood speechless as Sam turned the song off and sat back down on her couch. Josef continued to glare as finally Mick found his voice.

"Where exactly _was_ sexy before you brought it back, Josef?" he asked before doubling over laughing.

MLMLMLMLMLMLMLML

Josef looked over at his sleeping charge and then back to Mick.

"So, you manned up and kissed the human?" he asked bluntly, standing and making his way back to his desk. Mick glanced back at the baby vamp and nodded.

"She's really coming along Josef. She hardly spilled anything." He gestured to the rapidly closing puncture marks on Josef's wrist. Josef smiled, a bit of fang showing.

"Spillage was never the problem my friend." He unrolled his sleeve and buttoned it back up. "Trancing was." Mick frowned.

"No good?" Josef grinned a predatory smile again.

"Too good. It came before she knew about it." Mick nodded in understanding. "You're still here though." Josef snorted.

"That's true. But you aren't changing the subject. How was it?" Mick groaned and glared at his friend.

"Can we not talk about this please? It's bad enough avoiding the subject with Beth." Josef sighed.

"Well, you could try not avoiding the subject with Beth." Mick glared at him.

"It's dangerous. We can't be anything other than what we are now."

"And Mick, just what exactly are you two?" Josef asked pointedly. Mick sighed and held his head in his hands.

"I have no idea..." he mumbled. Josef sighed and told him,

"Well, Blondie wants us to double date tonight, so figure it out. I have a feeling that she's heading to your place right about now, so be prepared to be shanghaied." Mick looked up and frowned.

"But Sam can't mingle with humans yet. She's too young, she'll expose us!" Josef rolled hie eyes.

"You think I didn't realize that? We're going to a vamp friendly venue." Mick sighed again and stood up.

"Thanks for the entertainment Josef." he said with a small smile. Josef bared his fangs at his friend.

"I swear on my Ferrari if you tell _anyone_about what you saw, I'm telling Blondie just what happened three years after you were turned." Mick paled. Which was difficult, I mean, he is a vampire.

"You wouldn't..." Josef growled.

"Just try me , St. John." Mick sighed and walked out the door calling,

"I'll see you tonight I guess!" Josef smiled, pleased with himself.

"What _did _happened between the two of you?" Sam asked from the couch. Josef looked down at the vamp curled up on the couch, face pressed into the soft leather and grinned.

"If tonight goes down without any incidents from you, I promise you'll hear all about it."

MLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLML

Josef pulled out Sam's chair for her and smiled down at the fledgling.

"Don't act all surprised, who do you think taught Mick all that chivalry?" Sam snorted as Mick started to protest.

"OK Josef, whatever you say." Beth rolled her eyes good naturedly as Mick passed her a drink menu.

"So what is this place? I've never even heard of it before." she asked, looking over the wines with surprise. Mick and Josef exchanged a glance and Mick cleared his throat.

"It's a vamp place." Beth looked at him.

"I thought you guys didn't eat." Mick blushed and cleared his throat again. Sam looked at Josef quizzically as he stepped in.

"We don't. But freshies do." She 'oh'd and went back to the menu without another word. Mick looked at her expectantly.

"That's it?" he asked eventually. Beth looked at him in confusion.

"What's it?" She asked.

"No more questions?" he prodded. Beth shrugged.

"Not really. I mean, it stands to reason that a vamp like Josef would want to take out a freshie/date and still be able to use his 'charms' on her in a semi-public place. And the girls are human so they have to eat too." Mick sat stunned into silence as Josef shot him an 'I told you so glance' while looking over his own menu.

"Good evening Mr. Konstantin. Pleasure to have you back sir." a waiter in an expensive looking tux greeted, coming over to their table. Josef smiled up at the man and nodded.

"Pleasure's all mine Nigel." The man nodded respectfully at Mick who nodded back.

"May I start you off with something to drink?" Josef nodded and ordered two scotches and a bottle of white for Sam and Beth. Nigel scurried off to place their order and Beth whispered to Sam,

"Hey, was he like you guys?" Sam nodded.

"Yep, part of the fang gang." Beth smiled and leaned back in her seat.

"So, come here often Josef?" she asked with a small smile.

Josef grinned back, ready for her banter.

"Oh no, never, haven't ever been here in my life."

"Wow," Beth grinned. "That's a pretty long time to avoid a place Josef." Josef smiled and nodded, conceding the point to the reporter. Mick looked between them and sighed. Sam smiled sympathetically at him.

"Don't worry Mick. Unless I've fed recently I don't get the two of them either." Josef grinned and bumped her shoulder with his.

The evening passed succefully for the four friends, and it was almost over when Sam asked Josef,

"Hey, why exactly can't I eat food anymore?" Josef looked at her and replied,

"Your body can't digest it anymore, simple as that. It doesn't recognize it as sustenance." Sam frowned.

"What happens?" Josef and Mick shared a rueful grin, each remembering when they asked the exact same question.

"Well, the only way to really explain it to you is if you try it and see." Sam shrugged and grabbed a piece of broccoli off of Beth's plate.

"Thanks Beth," she said with a grin as Beth was about to complain. Beth rolled her eyes.

"Too much like Josef for your own good." Sam grinned at her and popped the vegetable in her mouth. Josef repressed a shudder and sighed. Mick shot her a sympathetic smile.

"What? I don't get what the big deal is? It just tastes nasty, that's all. Which isn't that surprising considering the fact that I've hated broccoli for as long as I can remember." Josef sighed and patted her shoulder.

And then Sam frowned and put a hand to her stomach.

"Bathroom." Josef ordered, standing and grabbing her hand. Mick laid a hand on Beth's arm as she made to get up and follow the couple.

"Trust me, you don't want to be there." he told her seriously. Beth sighed and folded her arms.

Sam and Josef just made it before the reflex to purge a now foreign body hit Sam harder than a sucker punch. A day's worth of blood and a piece of broccoli came out, leaving Sam shaking and violently hungry. Josef took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeve sitting on the sink and gesturing for Sam to sit next to him. She didn't even bother as she grabbed his arm quickly and sunk her fangs into the delicate skin in his wrist. Josef flinched when she didn't use her trancing and stroked her head softly as she swallowed gulp after desperate gulp.

"It's alright, just take as much as you need, it'll be fine, I promise." he soothed as Sam purred gently in the back of her throat, her sire's blood running through her parched veins.

When she stoped, Josef tilted her chin up to face him and asked seriously,

"Are we done with human food now?" Sam nodded sadly and he chucked her chin.

"I'm gonna miss it." she said gently. Josef smiled sympathetically.

"I still miss smoked ham. I'll never forget the taste. Fowl I did, for which I'm grateful. I hated fowl. But I still miss ham." Sam smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm gonna miss pizza most. The pizza back home was amazing. And wings, oh God were those wings good." Josef smiled.

"You can stiill drink you know." Sam snorted.

"For which I bet you're eternally grateful." Josef smiled and nodded.

"Can I eat anything?" Sam asked sadly. Josef thought about it for a bit.

"You know," he said suddenly, a small smile erupting on his handsome face. "I think I heard a younger vamp say that they tried to eat suckers and it worked." Sam's eyes perked up.

"Seriously?" she asked, excited by the prospect. Josef smiled back at her.

"Maybe we should wait a few days before trying this out, all right? I want to give your stomach some time to recover first." Sam nodded, but hope was in her eyes. Josef smiled at her and unrolled his sleeve. Grabbing his jacket, he offered his other arm to Sam and they made their way back to their table. Mick looked up at their approach and smiled at Sam, who shrugged back. Beth glanced between the three vampires and sighed impatiently.

"You know, being the odd human out really kinda sucks." Josef smiled and told her,

"I wouldn't say that word to loudly in here Blondie, there are vampires present."

Beth glared at him as Mick glared around the room. Sam shook her head and sipped her wine.

"Josef," she told him. "One of these days I'm going to help the reporter out-smart you, and I don't think you'll like the results." Josef grinned.

"Yes, well, until that day comes," he tossed back the last of his scotch. "I'm going to continue to tease Mick's human."

Beth rolled her eyes.

"Lovely."

* * *

"Do you have that picture scanned yet?" The man growled moodily. The other man clicked a button and nodded.

"Samantha Jameson, 20 years old from Buffalo NY. Well, Miss Jameson, looks like you're going to be my bait." the man said. "Put a trace on her phone and don't ever let it move without my knowledge." The lackey nodded and did what he was told. You didn't disobey The Boss. Well, if you wanted to live anyways.


End file.
